When Hell Freezes Over
by kura-love
Summary: Set after the events of season 5. Atem, Mana, and Bakura have been given their own bodies, and the lives of Ryou and his friends have returned to normal. Bakura is still bitter and claims he doesn't need friends. Can a vacation and a little unexpected romance give him a change of heart? VEXSHIPPING (and more)
1. Chapter 1

_thoughts_

"speech"

* * *

_Okay Ryou, you can do this. It's simple. Just knock on the door. Come on, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like he's going to kill you or anything. He might get a bit irritated but he'll get over it. Just do it.' _Ryou raised his fist, but it just hung there, frozen in mid-air._ 'Well that's a start I suppose.' _He sighed._ 'Why is this so difficult? It's a simple hand movement! No wonder he calls you a baby all the time. You don't even have the courage to knock on his door. Just do it already! This is the easy part. If you can't do it for yourself then do it for him. Just..._

Before he knew it, he had taken a step forward and made three soft knocks on Bakura's door.

"What?" came the harsh reply from the other side.

"Um, it's me."

"Obviously. What do you want?"

"Um, I... I just need to talk to you about something."

After about twenty seconds Bakura opened the door, visibly annoyed that his hikari had interrupted him.

_Oh great,_ Ryou thought, _I haven't even started talking yet and he already looks irritated._

"Make it quick. I don't have time to stand around and chat."

Ryou wanted to point out that he probably wasn't doing anything important anyway, but he held his tongue considering he was lucky his yami had even opened the door. "Well... That's just the thing, 'Kura. You never stand around and chat. You never chat with anyone. Heck, we don't even talk on a regular basis and we live in the same house! You're just so... seclusive."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting this.

Ryou kept going. "It just doesn't seem right for you to be so... alone. I think you should get out more. You know, socialize. Maybe you should hang out with us. It would be good for you," he said with a smile.

Bakura stared incredulously at his former host. "Tell me you're not serious."

"I am, actually. I'm very concerned—"

"I don't need your concern! Listen closely, boy. Hell will freeze over before I waste my time with those brats!"

Ryou jumped at the sudden increase in volume of his yami's voice. Suddenly the hallway seemed much smaller than it actually was.

"You already force me to go to that retched, useless place you call school, and now you're suggesting that I 'get out' and 'socialize'? Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"Ba-Bakura I just think it would be go—"

Bakura picked him up by his collar. "I don't give a damn what you think you idiot! No one knows what's good for me, especially not you! If I want to spend my time by myself, it's nobody's bloody business but mine." He dropped his frightened hikari and turned to go back into his room. "Now leave me alone."

"But Bakura I—"

He was cut off by the door being slammed in his face. He sighed sadly. 'We shared a body for several years. I know what's good for you better than anyone, even you.'

Leaving his dark half to the privacy of his room, he headed for his own. _Well, I guess that went better than it could have._ He had gotten his point across, and that was enough for him. Whether he liked it or not, Bakura had a soft spot for him, so he knew his request had not fallen on deaf ears. _It might take a long time, a really long time, but he'll come around. And I won't stop pressing the issue until he does._ Feeling somewhat satisfied, he got ready to go to sleep.

In his room, Bakura was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Ryou's words echoed in his head. _Foolish boy. I've been alone practically all my life, and that's the way I like it. I don't need to 'socialize' and certainly not with those idiots he hangs out with. How dare he even suggest such a thing! I've never wanted nor needed friends and I never will._ Satisfied with this thought, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

The next morning...

"Aaaah! Ah!"

Ryou's eyes flew open at the sound of his yami's outcry. He jumped out of bed and sprinted down the hall. "Bakura? Are you okay?" There was no reply. Without knocking, he threw open the door to Bakura's room. The former King of Thieves was sitting up in bed staring at the wall in bewilderment. He looked almost... no. That couldn't be. He was practically the embodiment of fear itself. Was it even possible for him to be afraid? "'Kura?"

"How..."

"How what, 'Kura?" he said gently.

"How did I get back here?"

Ryou frowned. "You left?"

"I don't know. I just opened my eyes and I was back here. Not that I'm complaining..." His voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"You opened your eyes... Oh," Ryou said, realizing what was going on. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"A dream? That was a dream?" Bakura looked down at his hands. 'It felt so real...'

This was the most vulnerable Ryou had ever seen his yami look. His skin was much paler than it normally was (if that was possible) and he was breathing hard like he had been running or something. It was almost disturbing to see Bakura like this. He was usually so calm and fearless and in control. "What was your dream about?"

This seemed to break him out of his daze. When he turned to look at Ryou he seemed back to normal. "It's none of your business."

"Sorry, I just wanted to help..."

"When have I ever needed your help?"

Multiple occasions came up in Ryou's mind, but he didn't voice them. "Well are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Just leave me alone."

"Bakura..."

"Get out before I throw you out."

Knowing he was dead serious, Ryou sighed and stood up. "Well I guess I'll go make breakfast then."

"Hmph," was all he got in reply.

He left the room, closing the door softly_. I wonder what that was about?_ This incident caused him to become even more concerned about his yami.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Aaaah!"

_Again?_ Ryou looked at the wall clock. 2:32 am. He got out of bed and ran to Bakura's room to find him in the same state he was in the morning before. "Are you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on Bakura's shoulder to comfort him.

Shrugging it off, he replied, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

He sighed. "Yes, I'm fine, hikari. Go back to sleep."

Unlike most people, Bakura was much nicer when he was sleepy. "Okay," Ryou said, walking away, "Well, just call me if you need anything." He was almost to the door when he heard Bakura stand up.

"I'm going for a walk," he announced. Stepping past Ryou, he started down the hall.

"But it's two o'clock in the morning..." he said, following right behind him.

"And?"

Ryou watched Bakura pick up his long black trench coat from the couch and put it on. "Well, be careful," he said as his yami opened the front door. Bakura shot him a 'Seriously?' look and stepped out into the darkness.

* * *

**Hello ^_^ This is my first story on Fanfiction and I'd really appreciate constructive criticism (or whatever it's called). REVIEW! … Sorry, I kinda freaked out xD but anyways, the more reviews I get the faster I'll update! Let me know what you think! I'll only continue the story if I get 7 or more positive reviews. And please let me know if you find any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes that spell check didn't catch. Thanks!(:**


	2. Chapter 2

_thoughts_

"speech"

* * *

The air outside was cold and crisp, just what he needed to clear his head. It was extremely dark outside; if it weren't for the street lights it would probably be pitch black. Bakura had a reputation for loving the shadows, but for the first time in his life he felt a bit uncomfortable in the darkness. The sidewalk led him to one of the town parks. No one was there and it was completely silent except for the sound of the light breeze ruffling leaves on the ground. Perfect. He needed time to think. Once again, Ryou's words repeated themselves in his head. They had a tendency to do that. 'Did you have a bad dream?' A bad dream... more like a nightmare. He spotted a park bench a few feet away and sat down on it. _It... It couldn't have been just that. Just a dream. It was too real, too powerful... I haven't had a dream in thousands of years, but I'm sure I wouldn't dream of something like that..._ Looking up, he noticed the full moon. Round and yellow, like on Halloween. _I don't have nightmares, I cause them. Something is wrong here... I must find out more about dreams._ With that, he stood up and started walking home.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Hitori no ore!" Bakura called as he hung up his coat. He sat down on the couch and waited for Ryou to enter. After about half a minute he emerged.

"Yes?"

His former host looked sleepy, and for a moment he felt a little bad for waking him up, but the feeling passed. "What exactly is a dream anyway?"

"Well," he let out a small yawn before continuing, "It's a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep."

"What are you, a human dictionary? What the bloody hell does that mean?"

Ryou smiled and sat down next to him. "It's pretty hard to explain, but I like to think of it as your imagination coming alive in your sleep."

"Then why do they feel so real?"

"Because you don't know you're dreaming until you wake up. In your mind you believe it's real, so your mind makes it feel real."

"Is it possible to control your dream? Can you bend it to your will?"

"Well yes, but to do that you have to figure out that you're dreaming while you're in the dream."

Bakura frowned. "How do you do that?"

"It's easier for some than others. There are multiple methods, but the simplest one is to get yourself to think inside your dream. It's simple but very difficult to actually do. You're usually so busy trying to figure out what to do in your dream that you don't have time to stop and think. But if you do, the next step is to try to remember things from the real world. For example, if you dream about school while you're on summer vacation, all you would have to do is remember that you're on vacation and it would make you come to the conclusion that you must be dreaming. We always believe whatever the dream puts out there to be true, but if you begin to question things you can break free. It's pretty difficult, but if you succeed, then you can start controlling the dream."

"And how do you do that?"

"You just start willing things to happen and, if you do it right, they happen."

"Hmm. Well, is it possible to feel pain?"

"Well no. Usually when you get seriously hurt in a dream you wake up."

Bakura stiffened. _If that's true then..._

Ryou noticed him tense up and lightly said, "Bakura?"

Looking away, he stood up; Ryou did the same.

"I know you're probably getting tired of me asking you this, but are you absolutely sure you're okay?"

He sighed. "Yes, Ryou, I'm fine. I'm just tired," he said as he headed for his room.

A small smile formed on Ryou's lips. Bakura hardly ever called him by his name. Only when he was in the best of moods, and that was extremely rare. _Whatever is on his mind sure is fazing him._ "'Kura," he began, following him. "You can't just tell me what you dreamed about?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not important."

"Something that's bothering you is important," he mumbled. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake, but it was too late.

Bakura spun around with flames in his eyes. "Bothering me? And what makes you think it's bothering me?" he demanded.

"N-Nothing I just..." he stammered, taking a step back.

"Leave."

"Okay," he sighed and did as he was told.

Bakura rolled his eyes and turned back to his room. It was almost four o'clock in the morning. He was tired all right, but he didn't dare go to sleep.

* * *

**Ello ^_^ I decided to go ahead and upload the second chapter because it's so short. So I forgot to mention Bakura is a bit OOC.. Just a bit though, not much. REVIEW! This time I really am looking for 7 reviews before I update! **


	3. Chapter 3

_thought_

"speech"

* * *

The next morning, Ryou awoke to the sound of something crashing to the kitchen floor. _Ugh, not again,_ he thought as he groggily climbed out of bed. "Bakura! What did you break this time?"

Not in the mood to make up an excuse, he answered simply, "A glass."

Ryou rounded the corner just as Bakura left the kitchen. He surveyed the damage and yelled, "Yeah, a glass full of orange juice! I'm not cleaning this up."

"Well then I guess it's just going to have to stay there isn't it?" he countered.

He sighed in defeat. "What are you doing up so early anyway?" It was six o'clock on Sunday morning. Bakura never got up before twelve except for school.

"None of your concern," Bakura mumbled.

"Whatever then." He began cleaning the mess his yami had made. An hour later he was in the living room watching TV with Bakura (or rather watching whatever show he turned to) when his cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh hello Yugi!... Of course I am! What time again?... Okay, I'll be there..." He stole a glance at Bakura, who was so into his show that he didn't notice. "I doubt it, but I'm going to try. I need to talk to you about that actually... Yes, I'm just... Well I'll tell you about it when I get there... Okay, bye." He hung up the phone and went into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Bakura was still sitting on the couch watching TV when it was time for Ryou to leave. "Well I'm off. There are some potato chips in the pantry if you get hungry."

"Hmph."

"Are you sure you don't want to come, 'Kura?"

"What part of 'hell will freeze over' did you not understand?"

"Okay, okay. Try not to break anything,"

"Hmph."

It was a beautiful day outside. As he walked to the arcade to meet up with the gang, Ryou took in his surroundings. It was the middle of March, and everyone was on spring break. Flowers were blooming left and right and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He smiled. Joey had offered to give him a ride, but he had refused it saying he'd rather walk and enjoy the scenery. A choice he was now glad he had made; the stroll was lifting his spirits. Eventually though, his thoughts shifted to his bitter yami. _He never gets up early... I bet he just couldn't get to sleep and didn't want to admit it..._

"Hey Ryou!"

The brown eyed boy looked up to see Yugi smiling and waving at him a few feet away. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed he had arrived. Yugi, Atem, Joey, Serenity, Anzu, Mana, and Marik were all huddled outside of the arcade. "Hello Yugi! Hello everyone, it's a beautiful day isn't it?"

"Absolutely," Anzu agreed.

"Yeah, yeah. It's great outside, but I bet it's even better inside the arcade! What are we standing around for? Let's go inside!" Joey said, inching towards the door.

"Mai's not here yet..." his sister, Serenity, noted.

"She said she was gonna be a little late. Now come on!" And with that Joey ran through the sliding doors of the arcade.

Anzu face palmed. "He acts like he's never been to the arcade before."

"When in reality he's been here like a million times." Yugi added. They all laughed and went inside.

The Domino City arcade was pretty large. It had two floors full of arcade games, vending machines, and more random games. After the group had gotten their game cards recharged, everyone went their separate ways. Yugi and Joey made for the racing games, Anzu went to go play some DDR, Marik pounced on a shooting game, and Atem was playing something that looked similar to Final Fantasy while Mana watched. Even after all the times he had been here with the gang, Ryou still didn't know his way around very well. So he settled for playing the first game he saw, which happened to be Pac-Man. _Well this is a nice way to start off I guess._ After swiping his game card, he started the game.

He had just lost his third life when Serenity walked up to him. "Hello Ryou," she said with a smile.

"Oh h-hi Serenity." He had completely forgotten about his game, causing him to lose his last life. The words Game Over scrolled across the screen in big red letters.

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to ruin your game."

"No it's quite all right. I was beginning to get bored anyway."

"Oh, okay good."

"So, um, a-are you enjoying yourself?" Ryou stuttered.

"Not really... I don't have anything to do."

"Oh, you don't like any of the arcade games?"

"No, it's not that. I don't have a game card."

"Oh. Why not?"

She sighed. "This is my first time coming here, and I forgot my money at home... And Joey didn't have enough to get me one. But it's fine, I'm having fun watching everyone else."

"But you deserve to have a good time, too..."

She had been watching Joey play his racing game, but she looked up at Ryou when he said this.

"Come on," he said.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following him.

"To the prize room to get a game card for you."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no Ryou you don't have to do that! It's not that important, you don't have to spend your money..."

"Hello, could I get a game card please?" He asked the man working at the counter. After he had paid for it, the man handed him a shiny red and blue card, which he handed to Serenity. "There you go. Now you can enjoy yourself just like everyone else."

"Thank you," she said, taking the card and examining it. "I'll pay you back, I promise—"

"No, no," he cut her off. "Don't worry about it."

Her honey eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. Ryou's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you so much," she said.

"No problem," he smiled back.

"Well I'm going to go play that racing game with Joey and Yugi." She gave him a quick hug and said, "Thanks again, Ryou!" before running off.

He stood there a little while longer and replayed the scene in his head. _She hugged me..._ He smiled and walked off to find Marik.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Aaaah!" Bakura yelled as his eyes flew open and he sat up on the couch. He was back in the living room. _Oh Ra, not again..._ He took a minute to let his breathing get back to normal before he did anything. Looking up at the clock, he saw it was 4:15. _I must've fallen asleep. _He got up and poured himself a glass of milk. _This can't keep happening. I've got to figure out a way to stay awake…_ Just as he thought this, he spotted a small orange and blue bottle sitting on the kitchen counter. He picked it up, smiling as he read the label. _Perfect._

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Why. Won't. You. Die?!" Marik grumbled.

Ryou laughed as he watched Marik try to kill some large creature in his game. He had shot it a multitude of times and it wasn't dead yet. "Why don't you try shooting at its head?" he suggested.

"Hmm... I hadn't thought of that." He aimed his arcade gun at the creature's head and fired away. Sure enough, it worked. The head exploded and brain chunks flew everywhere, killing the creature. The game moved on to the next level. Marik laughed. "Why don't you play, Ryou?" he said, gesturing to the gun next to him. It was a two-player game, and another person could join at any time by swiping their card and pressing the green button.

"I'll pass. This is more like Bakura's sort of thing..."

"You should bring him with you next time. I haven't seen him in a while."

Ryou sighed. "I've tried, but he refuses to come."

"Speaking of Bakura, didn't you want to talk to me about something, Ryou?" said Yugi. He was watching Atem play some fighting game right next to Marik's.

"I'm just concerned about him. He's so seclusive, you know? And he's pretty much always in a bitter mood. He won't open up to anyone or let anyone get close to him. I know he doesn't want any, but everyone needs friends..."

Yugi nodded. "Of course. Have you tried talking to him about it?"

"Yes, but I only succeeded in getting the door slammed in my face."

"Ouch," Marik commented.

"Yikes. Hmm... What do you think we should do, Atem?"

"Well there isn't much you can do. We all know how stubborn Bakura is, and if he prefers to be alone that's the way it's going to be until he wishes it otherwise," his yami answered.

"Or we could just force him," Marik offered nonchalantly, making the former pharaoh crack a smile. Everyone knew Marik missed his old partner in crime, although he would never admit it.

Yugi turned to Ryou. "Force Bakura? Is that even possible?"

"Well actually, I can think of one way," Ryou said with a smile. "But for it to work I would have to be leaving for more than a couple of days, not just a few hours."

Just then, Mana ran up to the small group and started jumping up and down next to Atem. "Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh you guys guess what!"

"What is it, Mana?" Atem asked, putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Mai was late because she won a sweepstakes! We're going on an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii!" she squealed.

"What?" Ryou gasped.

"No way," Marik's game had been completely forgotten.

"Yes way, hun."

They all turned around to see Mai smirking at their disbelief. In her hand were ten airline tickets to none other than Hawaii. _Wait, ten?_ Ryou thought. Behind her, Joey was spinning a very dizzy Anzu around in circles and Serenity was smiling like a maniac.

"Oh my Ra, we're going to Hawaii!" Marik jumped up and yelled. Everyone started jumping and hooting in happiness. Atem, who was always calm in any situation, didn't celebrate like everyone else, but he did chatter excitedly with Mana about the trip.

"How long will we be gone, Mai?" Yugi inquired.

"A little over a week. And we're leaving tomorrow at twelve sharp, so I suggest you all do some serious packing tonight," she replied.

Everyone started up chattering again. Atem turned to Ryou. "Is that enough time for you?"

Ryou laughed. "I'm pretty sure it is."

"Enough time for what?" Joey asked.

"It's a long story, I'll explain it later," said Yugi.

Mai began handing out the tickets to everyone. "Don't lose them," she said, looking at Joey in particular. He grumbled something about getting no respect.

"Mai, I see you've got ten tickets, is the last one for anyone in particular?" Ryou asked.

Although she had missed out on the conversation, she knew exactly what he was getting at. "That depends. Will that grumpy ol' yami of yours be coming with us?"

Ryou laughed. "Yes, I believe he will."

"Well then the last ticket is for him," she said, handing him two tickets. "Just make sure he doesn't rip it."

"Of course. Well I guess I need to get home and pack. I'll see you all tomorrow!" Ryou said, walking away. Eight other goodbyes and see ya's followed as he left the arcade.

Back inside, Mana turned to Atem. "Is Bakura really going to come?"

"Ryou seems pretty sure that he will, so whatever he has up his sleeve must be very clever. He never did get to tell us his plan," Atem stated.

"Well if he really does get him to come, we can ask him then," Yugi said. "I just hope it works."

Atem nodded. "Me too. Ryou isn't the only one who's concerned. Deep down inside I think we all are."

"What's up, Yug?" Joey asked.

"Whatever it is, you guys can tell us all about it while we walk to the cars. I need to pack!" Mai intercepted.

As they made their way to the entrance, Yugi explained the situation. Despite their troubles with him in the past, everyone hoped Bakura would come.

* * *

**Okay I lied :o It's just that the thought of having a chapter ready to go and not submitting it bothers me xP There you have it(: A long chapter 3 to make up for a short chapter 2 :P Okay so stop for a moment and picture this in your head: Bakura…. drinking milk xD Haha that's just funny to me. I guess in the YGOTAS world it would make perfect sense xD There's a little inside joke for all my fellow YGOTAS fans x) But anyways, REVIEW! I'll give an imaginary cookie to the first person who can guess what the bottle Bakura found is x) And thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last two chapters ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I realized I haven't been doing my disclaimers :o sooo...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, it would've ended waaaaay differently :P**

* * *

"Bakuraaaaaa?" Ryou sang as he opened the door to their apartment. He was in a good mood and he had a feeling everything was going to work out perfectly. This feeling grew once he spotted his yami in the kitchen looking back and forth between a package of uncooked steak and a pan Ryou had left on the stove earlier. He looked utterly confused. _Perfect,_ Ryou thought as he walked over to him. "Hello Bakura," he said with a smile.

Looking up, he replied, "Ryou, just who I wanted to see." He picked up the steak and handed it to him. "Cook this."

Ryou sighed. "You could say please sometimes you know," he said as Bakura walked away. It didn't bother him though, not today. Cooking the steak would just make Ryou's plan that much easier.

Bakura was waiting impatiently at the dinner table when Ryou sat the steak down in front of him. He immediately dug in. Ryou watched as he prepared to devour the dish and smiled. This was going to be too easy. "So, I've got wonderful news," he started.

"Unless it involves more steak I'm not interested."

Ignoring this, Ryou went on. "You remember Mai don't you?"

"Unfortunately..." he grumbled.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Well she won ten tickets to Hawaii, so we're all going on vacation!" he said enthusiastically.

"Good for you," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Ryou chuckled and pulled out the two tickets Mai had given him. "And by all, I do mean ALL of us."

Bakura nearly choked when he looked up and saw not one, but two tickets in his hikari's hand. "And what makes you think I'll be attending?" he said with a glare, "I'd rather jump off a boat than—"

"I won't be here to cook for you."

Bakura's eyes widened for a split second before he caught himself. "I can cook for myself..." he said uncertainly.

"Oh really now? Then why didn't you cook the steak for yourself?" Ryou said, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't want to."

"You didn't want to cook the steak?"

"I didn't want to do it myself, but I could if I wanted to."

"I'm sure you could." Ryou walked around to stand behind Bakura's chair. "But can you cook it the way you like it?" Bakura didn't respond. "Let's face it, Bakura. You don't even know how to work the stove. And even if you did you'd probably burn the poor piece of meat beyond recognition. Is that what you want, 'Kura? Burnt steak?"

Bakura stiffened involuntarily at the thought.

"Wouldn't it be much easier to come with us? Where professional chefs can cook your steaks to perfection?"

Bakura turned to face his hikari. Ryou could be very persuasive when he wanted to be. "I don't have to have steak," he said, trying to convince himself as well. "I can always get fast food while you're gone. You are not going to force me to go—"

"And where are you going to get the money for that?" Ryou interrupted.

He frowned. "You always leave me money when—"

"Not this time."

He scowled. Ryou could be absolutely lethal when he wanted something. Deep down inside, he couldn't help feeling impressed and a little proud. "So you're just going to let me starve."

"Yep."

Absolutely. Lethal. "Why do you want me to go anyway? I'm sure your friends don't want to see me."

"Yes, they do actually. They haven't seen you in a while—"

"And I'd like to keep it that way..." Bakura mumbled.

Ryou shook his head. "Plus, you need a vacation. This will give you a chance to relax."

"I could relax here if you'd just leave me alone."

"You need a change of scenery."

"Ryou, I'm not—"

"Starvation..." he sang.

Realizing he was dead serious and there wasn't really a choice, he growled. "Fine."

"What was that?"

"I said fine!" He yelled. Standing up, he grabbed Ryou's collar. "I'll go, but you'll regret this."

"No I won't, and neither will you. You'll have fun, you'll see," he replied, freeing himself from his yami's grip.

Bakura stormed off to his room. "Fun," he scoffed as he walked away.

Ryou smirked. "I would start packing if I were you!" he called after him, "We're leaving tomorrow at noon!"

* * *

**Who knew Bakura's love for food would be his downfall xD Thanks to all who reviewed ^_^ And a special thanks to YamiBakura1988, who has reviewed all of my chapters so far(:**** By the way, that cookie is still up for grabs! No one has figured it out yet xD it will be revealed next chapter, and the cookie will be rewarded x) I know this chapter was really short, but don't worry I'll make up for it in the next one. Not much happens next chapter though, it's pretty much just filler :P soooo I'll probably submit chapter 6 as well if I finish editing it in time. REVIEW! And Happy New Year! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Joey and Mai would have become a couple despite their age difference ^_^**

* * *

It was quiet, peaceful. Just the way Ryou liked it. He was sitting on the couch thoughtfully nibbling on a tea cake. All the excitement was starting to get to him; He couldn't believe they would be leaving in just three hours. All of his packing was done, and he was taking this time to enjoy the last bit of serenity he would have for a while. Thinking of this, his thoughts shifted to Serenity. He was more than happy she would be going with them. He thought about her eyes and the warmth of her skin when she hugged him. Smiling, he leaned back into the cushions of the couch, closed his eyes, and listened to the relaxing sound of silence. But, as he knew very well, all good things eventually come to an end. The sound of a door being opened and slammed broke the peaceful moment and brought Ryou back to reality. A reality where he had to deal with Bakura's bitterness before he could even think about the upcoming trip. He stood up and smiled. "Good morning, Bakura."

Bakura glared at him without saying anything.

His dark half was obviously irritated that he had bested him, but he didn't care. Getting him to go on the trip was worth it. "Did you finish packing?"

Again, no answer.

"I'll take that as a yes." Ryou could hear him in the kitchen getting cereal. "So did you sleep well?"

Still nothing.

This ticked Ryou off. And with his anger came a burst of fearlessness. He marched into the kitchen spun Bakura around to face him.

Flames were in Bakura's eyes as his own temper sparked, but before he could say anything, Ryou went off.

"You're being ridiculous, Bakura. Absolutely ridiculous! You act like a spoiled child sometimes! I don't bloody care whether you talk to me or not, you're going with us, and that's all that matters to me. You can ignore me all you want, Bakura, but you know you're still going. Nothing is going to change. Nothing. So you might as well get over it." After he let out all that steam, Ryou's anger departed as quickly as it had come, leaving him shocked and a little nervous. That was the first time he had ever yelled at Bakura.

Bakura could see the fight leaving Ryou after his outburst. He was genuinely impressed at his hikari's courage, even if it only lasted a couple of seconds.

Much to Ryou's surprise, he just shrugged and walked away, taking his cereal to the kitchen table. He exhaled in relief. Maybe he was starting to earn his respect.

"I didn't," Bakura said.

"You didn't what?"

"Sleep."

Ryou frowned. "Why not? Now you're going to be sleepy during the plane ride and—"

"Didn't want to."

"But... Why not?" He asked, sitting next to him, "Are you going to sleep on the plane?"

"No."

"Well are you tired?"

"No."

"I don't understand..."

Bakura stood up and left the kitchen. When he returned he placed a box of small orange and blue bottles on the table and resumed eating his breakfast.

Ryou read the side of the box. "Five Hour Energy?"

Bakura nodded.

"So that's why I couldn't find my bottle... You drank it." This just confused him even more. "Where did you get all of these?"

"Gas station."

Bakura's short answers were starting to annoy him. "Well why do you need these?"

"Read the label," he said as he put his bowl in the sink.

"I know what they do," Ryou replied irritably. "Why would you want to stay awake?"

"None of—"

"I know, I know. None of my business."

Bakura smirked and left the kitchen.

As he watched him walk away, he had a feeling he knew why Bakura wanted to avoid sleeping.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"You'll regret this," he repeated. They were standing outside the house waiting for Joey to come pick them up. He had offered to give them a ride since they had no transportation.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "You act like I'm torturing you or something."

"Having to be around those brats is torture..." he grumbled.

"There's nothing wrong with my friends, Bakura."

"Of course not," he said sarcastically.

"Come on, lighten up! It's a vacation! I think you'll enjoy yourself more than you think. Plus this will give you a chance to open up."

Now it was Bakura's turn to roll his eyes. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Just because I'm going doesn't mean I'll be hanging out with your little posse.'

"We'll see." Ryou replied.

Bakura glanced at Ryou's luggage. He had two big brown suitcases. All he had was a single red travel bag. He hadn't had much to pack. Just his iPod, his toiletries, and enough clothes to last him while he was gone. His rarely used cell phone was in his pocket. Ryou had somehow snuck a pair of swimming trunks into his bag, but he was sure he wouldn't need them. Just because he was going on this trip didn't mean he had to participate in foolish activities.

After a while, Joey's run down, white Toyota Sprinter Trueno came to a stop in front of their house. Joey got out and popped the trunk so they could load their luggage. Serenity got out as well. Bakura could see Ryou smiling at her as they walked to the car.

"Hi Ryou," she said, hugging him. Bakura tried not to laugh as his light blushed like a madman.

"Hi Serenity, how are you?" he replied, hugging her back.

"Fine, just excited. I can't believe we're going to Hawaii!"

Ryou laughed. "That makes two of us," he said with a smile.

Bakura noticed how reluctant Ryou was to let go of her. _Interesting,_ he thought.

"Man, I can't wait til we get on the plane!" Joey said to Ryou as he was lifting his suitcase. "Mai says it's a private jet."

"You don't say!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Yeah, and you know what the best part about private jets is?" Joey asked.

"The roominess?"

"The food! Aw man, the delicious food..." Joey's eyes glazed over at the thought of the first class food. Bakura lifted his bag into the trunk, recapturing Joey's attention. "Hey Bakura. Long time no see."

"Not long enough..." he mumbled.

"Nice to see you, too." Joey turned to Ryou. "Hey pal, do you think I could use your bathroom? I was in such a rush I forgot..."

"Sure. Actually I needed to go back inside anyway. I forgot my camera," Ryou replied, leading him back to the house.

Bakura closed the trunk and leaned against the back of the car. This was going to be a long, annoying trip, he could already tell.

"Bakura?"

It was Wheeler's sister. She was standing next to the passenger door. He cocked his head to the side to let her know he had heard her.

"The doors are unlocked. You don't have to stand outside if you don't want to."

He thought about it for a moment before deciding to climb into the backseat. He was tired of standing anyway.

"So how have you been?" she asked as she settled into the passenger seat.

"Fine."

She nodded her head in response. "I think I know the answer, but are you excited about the trip?"

"Hardly," he replied.

She smiled. "Thought so."

Serenity was the only one of Ryou's friends that he found tolerable. He didn't think it was necessary to be rude to her. They remained silent until Joey and Ryou returned.

"And we're off!" With that, Joey drove off in the direction of the Takahashi International Airport.

* * *

**The mystery bottle has been revealed! It was a Five Hour Energy x) (I almost typed Five Dollar Foot Long :o I guess I'm hungry xD) No one guessed correctly, but the person with the closest guess was… PandaTeddyClaws! Congratulations(: here's your cookie *chocolate chip cookie* I have no idea if you like chocolate chip but if you don't you can make it any kind you want it to be xD REVIEW! Reviews keep me motivated. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Ryou would get waaaay more screen time. **

* * *

"Anzu! Over here!"

The blue eyed girl scanned the crowd until she found her closest friend's crazy tricolored hair. She practically skipped over to the group she was so excited. They were all in the waiting area, some sitting and some standing.

"Heehee, this is so exciting isn't it Anzu?" Mana squealed grabbing her hands and jumping up and down. "We're going to Hawaii!"

Anzu jumped with her. "I know right? I can't wait!"

Mai looked at her watch and sighed impatiently. "I wish Joey would hurry up. He drives like an old lady."

Anzu laughed. Mai loved her boyfriend, but making fun of him never got old.

Mana let go of her and turned to her best friend. "Atem?"

"Yes Mana?"

"Is Thiefie going to come? I haven't seen him since the ritual..."

Marik laughed from his seat. "He would kill you if he knew you called him that."

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see," Atem replied.

Mana went on talking to Anzu about the trip, but she was half listening. Her mind was elsewhere. _Bakura..._ Memories and images of him involuntarily came up in her head. To be honest, she wasn't very thrilled with the idea of the former thief king coming with them. She knew he wasn't evil anymore, just bitter. But that didn't make her any less afraid of him. _He probably won't come anyways though,_ she reassured herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mana's gasp.

"Well it's about time!" Mai said, crossing her arms.

Anzu looked up to see Joey, Ryou, Serenity, and... Her jaw dropped. Walking a few feet behind Ryou and Serenity was none other than Bakura.

Anzu saw Atem smirking out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry we're a little late, you guys. I had to stop and get gas." Joey said, reaching the group first.

"A little late? Try ten minutes," Mai stated.

"Well we're here, aren't we?" Joey fired back, dropping his bags.

"Alright, alright," she said, ruffling his hair.

"Hello everyone!" Ryou said with a smile. He was carrying his bags and Serenity's. "Are we all ready to go?"

He got hoots and hollers as an answer.

No matter how much she wanted to, Anzu couldn't take her eyes off Bakura. _Has he always been that… attractive? _She was seeing him in a new light. How dark and mysterious his deep mahogany eyes were, how perfectly his long white hair framed his face... She shook her head and dismissed her peculiar thoughts. When they made eye contact he just glared at her and looked away. _In the end he's still Bakura,_ she thought. But he looked so awkward and out of his element walking behind Ryou… It erased every ounce of fear she had of him. For the first time, she saw him as a normal human being.

The intercom came to life and a man announced, "Flight 224 to Maui, Hawaii is now boarding. Please make your way to gate 7 to board your flight. Thank you."

"That's us," Mai said. She reached for her luggage only to find that Joey was holding it for her.

"Well, let's get going gang!" Yugi exclaimed.

Anzu grabbed her bags and followed her friends to the terminal. She didn't fail to notice that Bakura was walking a few feet behind them, never with them. She wasn't the only one who noticed. Everyone had stolen a glance at least once.

"Such a grouch," Ryou said.

They all turned to look at their British friend.

"Don't mind him everyone. He's just bitter about my forcing him to come," he said, smiling a little.

"Don't worry hun. We weren't expecting anything pleasant." Mai reassured him.

Marik put an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, don't worry. We'll crack him. He'll be laughing and smiling in no time."

"We're pretty irresistible," Mana added, making everyone smile.

Ryou laughed. "Thank you all. There's nothing more important to me than helping him."

Anzu admired how much Ryou cared about Bakura despite the cold-heartedness he got in return.

"It's not going to be easy though... Now that I think of it, it might be a little dangerous," Ryou went on.

"Bakura? Dangerous? He's just a grumpy old bear. We can handle him," Mana said.

"I hope so." Ryou replied.

It was silent for a minute or two. Bakura was well out of earshot, so Yugi voiced the question everyone was dying to ask. "So Ryou, how exactly did you get him to come?"

"Well..."

They couldn't stop laughing after Ryou had told them the story. No one could believe it had been that simple to get Bakura to come. Although he acted like he despised them all, Anzu had a feeling that deep down inside Bakura cared about his hikari more than he let on. Hopefully this trip would only bring them closer.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Ryou had never been in a private jet before. It was bigger than he had imagined. Even Bakura raised his eyebrows in approval.

"Yeeeeee!" Mana squealed as she ran and claimed a seat by one of the windows. "This is so exciting!"

Indeed it was. He couldn't believe it was actually happening. Everyone picked a seat and got settled in. Ryou noticed there was an empty spot next to Serenity. He wanted to sit next to her, but he couldn't find the guts to ask.

"Well are you going to go sit with her or are you just going to stand in the middle of the aisle staring at her like an idiot?"

He spun around with a start. "Um... I..."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Just go already," he said, spinning him back around and pushing him a little. Everyone else was too involved in their own conversations to notice.

Bakura slid past him, leaving him standing in front of Serenity. She smiled up at him. _Well, too late to back out now._ "Um, is anyone going to sit there?"

"Doesn't look like it." She replied, still smiling.

He smiled back and sat down next to her.

"Hello, this is your pilot speaking. We are preparing to take off. Please make sure your seatbelts are secure. I will make an announcement when it is safe to take them off. Thank you."

After a couple of minutes they were in the air, on their way to Hawaii. Ryou was very pleased that he had sat next to Serenity. She was very easy to talk to and they had a great conversation going. _If it weren't for Bakura, I wouldn't have had the confidence to do this,_ he thought. Everyone had sat close to each other. They were all in the middle of the plane. From where he and Serenity were sitting, Joey and Mai were in front of them, Atem and Mana were across from them, and Yugi and Anzu were diagonal from them. Marik was sitting behind Mana. Bakura, however, was nowhere near them. Ryou turned around to search for him and found him sitting in the very back of the jet, staring angrily out the window. He sighed.

Serenity noticed. "Is everything okay, Ryou?"

"Well..."

She followed his gaze. "Oh I see."

Marik noticed them looking and turned around to see what was going on. He frowned when he found it. "Well if he won't come to the party," he started, standing up, "We'll bring the party to him."

"Where are you going?" Mana asked.

"I'm going to talk to Bakura."

"Ooooh you're gonna go talk to Thiefie? I wanna come." She stood up as well.

"You guys..." Ryou warned as they made their way down the aisle.

"Let them go, Ryou."

Marik had sat next to Bakura and Mana had sat in front of him. Ryou had been watching them, but he turned to Atem when he spoke.

"If anyone can handle him, those two can. I know you want to help him, but you need not worry yourself over it. He'll come around, and everything will be fine."

"Thank you, Atem," he said. The former pharaoh always knew exactly what to say.

He nodded in response and closed his eyes.

Ryou turned back to Serenity just as she started to giggle.

"What happened?" he asked.

She pointed to the back of the jet and he looked to see what was so amusing. He almost burst out laughing himself. Bakura had his head in his hands, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the happy chit chat Mana and Marik were trying to engage him in.

"Oh this is just too good to pass up." He took his camera out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture. Bakura would kill him if he ever found it, but he would deal with that when the time came. "Would you like to go join the action?" he asked Serenity.

"You bet," she replied.

The two got up and moved to the back. The very back row had five seats joined together instead of two on each side, so Ryou sat directly next to Marik. Serenity sat next to Mana.

"Don't you think so, Bakura?" Mana was saying as they sat down.

"I don't care." He still had his hands covering his face, so his words were muffled.

Ryou chuckled. "I guess hell just froze over, huh Bakura?"

He just looked up and glared at him, making him laugh even more.

* * *

**As promised, I submitted two chapters today ^_^ Whew, that was a tough one :o I spent four hours going over this chapter. Editing and changing things until I was somewhat satisfied with it. But the good reviews you guys leave makes it all worth it ^_^ soooo REVIEW! Reviews are much appreciated and they make my day ^_^ Things get a little interesting next chapter :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, in Season 4, Yami's flashback of losing Yugi wouldn't be shown sooo many times (you have to admit they show it a ridiculous amount of times :\).**

* * *

_thought_

_**dream**_

After what seemed like an eternity to Bakura, the plane finally landed. As the group got off the plane, they were met by a lady wearing a purple tye dye dress.

"Aloha, welcome to Hawaii! My name is Kiki and I will be your guide today." She waited for them to finish responding before she continued. "There are many beautiful and interesting locations in Maui, but unfortunately I only have time to show you a few of them. The rest is up to you to discover for yourselves."

The teens exchanged enthusiastic looks with each other. Bakura stared the tour guide with a bored expression on his face.

"As soon as this mini tour is over," she went on, "I will take you to your resort and then you will be free to do as you wish. Any questions?"

_Ugh, this lady sounds like Ishizu,_ Bakura thought.

When Kiki got no reply, she said, "Well then, let's get started!"

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

The tour lasted about an hour and a half. Kiki showed them most of the island, and Bakura had to admit it was a pretty nice place. There were a lot of things that he had never seen before. But that didn't make him any happier to be there. After the tour, they were each given a key to their respective rooms and a tourist pamphlet containing nearby locations and upcoming events. While Ryou and his friends hung out in the lobby a little longer and talked about the island, Bakura threw his pamphlet away and went straight to his room. Once he had closed the door, he let out a sigh. "Finally," he said out loud. He was finally alone. The plane ride had been almost unbearable. The brats were so... Happy all the time. It was sickening. He observed his hotel room. A king sized bed was sitting in the middle with a flat screen TV hanging on the wall in front of it. Off to the side there was a bathroom. Bakura winced; it was much too bright for him. White bed sheets, white walls, and white curtains that were opened all the way, letting in as much light as possible. Closing the curtains helped a bit, but it still wasn't as dark as he was used to. He plopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. He had forgotten to take his Five Hour Energy, so before he knew it his eyes were closing and he was falling asleep...

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

_**"You can't escape me Bakura," he whispered.**_

_**Bakura ignored him and kept running. The sand looked like it stretched on for miles. He had nowhere to hide. All he could do was keep running. **_

_**"You can run, but you'll never escape. Never."**_

_**Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up. He was brought up to face two glowing red eyes. "Let me go now," Bakura growled.**_

_**The being smiled, sending shivers down Bakura's spine. "As you wish," he replied. **_

_**Suddenly, Bakura was falling. He saw the ground rushing toward him and closed his eyes, preparing for the impact. Nothing could have prepared him for the pain he felt when he hit the desert floor. He landed on his arm, which snapped immediately. Then he bounced about two feet in the air before landing on his back, knocking the breath out of him. The pain was excruciating. His arm was throbbing and his head felt like it was going to explode. **_

_**The dark being laughed and picked Bakura up again. "Had enough?"**_

_**He was practically biting his lip off to keep from screaming in pain. **__That's what he wants. He wants to see me suffer. But I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of— __**At this point, the being started to squeeze him. A scream of absolute torment slipped through Bakura's lips. The pressure on his arm was too much. It felt as if every bone in his body was screaming out in protest. **__Just kill me, please, just..._

"Bakura?"

His eyes flew open. He was back in the hotel room. He heard three soft knocks on his door.

"Bakura?" It was Ryou.

"What?" he replied, trying desperately to regain his composure.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't care." He sat up and halfheartedly glared at the door. His dream had really disoriented him.

After a couple of seconds, Ryou gently opened the door and poked his head inside, followed by the rest of his body. "So, are you enjoying yourself so far?"

Bakura turned his head away and didn't respond. He heard Ryou come and sit at the edge of his bed.

"Well there's a luau at the beach tonight and I was wondering if you—"

"No," Bakura cut him off.

"But—"

"No."

"But you don't even know what it is yet! How can you say no and you don't even—"

"I don't care what it is," he said with a glare, "Forcing me to go on this trip in the first place was bad enough, and now you want me to go to some stupid event? No way in hell."

"But Bakura..."

"No."

"Please, 'Kura? It would mean a lot to me," Ryou pleaded.

"No, now leave me alone."

Ryou sighed. "Okay then. Well, that's where we'll be tonight if you change your mind."

Bakura didn't respond.

"Well, I'll see you later then." Ryou was opening the door, when he turned around and said, "Can I ask you something?"

Bakura turned his head slightly, a cue to go on.

"Do you hate me?" he asked quietly.

Bakura expected a 'yes' to come out automatically, but it didn't. Something in his chest wouldn't let him say yes, because deep down inside he knew it wasn't true. He sighed and answered, "No."

Ryou couldn't hold back a smile. "Okay," he said, "See ya." And then he was gone.

A couple hours later, Bakura was lying down with his iPod ear buds in his ear. Listening to music usually helped him get his mind off of things. But even the loud screech of guitar solos couldn't stop Ryou's words from echoing in his head. 'Please, 'Kura? It would mean a lot to me...' He looked at the wall clock. It was 7:55, five minutes until the luau started. He got up and looked out his window. The brats were all standing on the other side of the street waiting to leave, minus Ryou. His room was between Marik's and Ryou's, and he could hear his hikari talking on the phone on the other side of the wall.

"I know, I'm sorry I'll be down in just a minute. I can't seem to find my camera... Yes, I checked... No, I had it in my hand when I got off the plane..."

Again, Ryou's words ran their course. 'Please, 'Kura?' He sighed and looked back out the window. He could see the beach in the distance. 'It would mean a lot to me...' "Ugh..." he groaned, yanking his ear buds out of his ears. He grabbed his black trench coat and left the room.

* * *

**Ooooh a luau. I wonder what will happen there :o Oh wait, I already know because I'm the author x) Mwahaha xD So anyway, now we know Bakura's terrible dream. And I'm in the mood to give out more delicious treats ^_^ Who can guess who the being in Bakura's dream is? And since this will turn out to be a pretty important detail of the story, I am giving away my favorite dessert: an imaginary slice of cheesecake :o This should be pretty easy if you've seen Season 5. First person to guess wins ^_^ REVIEW! And thanks for the amazing reviews I've received already :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. (*SPOILER ALERT!* DO NOT READ THE NEXT TWO SENTENCES IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST FIVE EPISODES!) So do you guys remember that episode where Yugi was preparing for the final duel and Tea came to say good-bye to the Pharaoh? If I did own Yu-Gi-Oh, Tea would have asked Yugi to let her speak to the Pharaoh and she would've told him how she felt instead of changing her mind like a dumbass and letting all that go unsaid _**

* * *

"Aha! There you are." Ryou pulled his camera from under one of his shirts and rushed out of the room. He was locking his door when he noticed someone was leaning against the wall a few feet away from him. Looking up, he realized it was Bakura. "What are you doing out, 'Kura?" he asked.

"Going to your stupid luau, what else would I be doing?" Before Ryou could say anything, he started walking away.

Ryou smiled and ran after him. "So did you read your pamphlet?" he asked.

"No."

"I didn't think so. You don't know what a luau is then?"

"I don't care what it is. I'm only going because..." he caught himself and didn't finish.

Ryou was dying to know what he was going to say, but he left it alone. Getting Bakura to go to the luau was a serious accomplishment and he didn't want to push his luck. "Thank you," he said as the elevator doors closed behind them.

His yami rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

They were silent the rest of the way down._ Slowly but surely,_ Ryou thought.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Please Serenity?" Anzu was saying.

"I don't know you guys... I don't think I can—"

"Of course you can!" Mana interrupted her.

The group was standing outside of the hotel waiting for Ryou to come down so they could go to the luau. The girls, however, were in their own little huddle. Anzu had come up with the idea that the four of them could participate in the hula dancing and surprise the boys. Mai and Mana had been thrilled with it, but they were having a little trouble convincing Serenity.

"I... Um..."

"You'll do fine, hun! And we'll all be right there next to you, doing the exact same thing" Mai reassured her.

"But... You're all so much more confident than me. I'll look so... Awkward." Serenity said, hanging her head.

Anzu put an arm around her shy friend. "No you won't, Serenity. We'll help you with that. You're going to look beautiful, just watch. "

"Well, if you say so..." she mumbled, barely audible.

"Great!" Mana said. "Don't worry, it'll be fun!"

"I know... I'm just a little nervous... I really don't want to mess up."

Anzu was about to point out that the dance wasn't as hard as it sounded when Mai spoke up. "Hmm... Does this nervousness have anything to do with a GUY?"

Serenity's head snapped up. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. I just couldn't help but notice how close you and Ryou have been lately."

Serenity's eyes widened. "I don't see what you're getting at..."

"Oh, I think you do." Mai answered back.

"Do you like him Serenity?" Mana asked, getting right to the point.

"Well maybe... A little..." she sighed. "Yeah..."

Anzu covered her ears as Mana squealed like a crazed fangirl. "How cuuuuuute!"

Serenity blushed and looked away. "I guess..."

"So, you'll dance with us?" Anzu inquired.

Serenity smiled. "Sure."

"How exciting!" Mana said. "I can't wait to get there!"

"I can't wait either," Mai said impatiently. "Hey, Yugi!"

Hearing his name, he walked over, the rest of the group following him.

"Is Ryou coming yet? I'm ready to go," she complained.

"I just called him and he said he'll be down in a minute. He can't find his camera," he explained.

"Someone's impatient," Joey teased.

Mai tried to pinch him, but he dodged it.

"Oh. My. Ra. Does Ryou have, like, magic powers or something?"

They all turned to see what Mana was talking about. Ryou was crossing the street walking towards them, but he wasn't alone.

Anzu gasped. _Bakura?_

"I'm so sorry I took so long everyone. My camera was hiding under one of my shirts and it took me forever to find it," Ryou said when they reached the group.

"Well all that matters is that you're here now. So let's go!" Mai and Joey started walking towards the beach, along with everyone else.

Anzu noticed Ryou give Serenity a hug, and apparently so did Mana, who was walking with her.

"We've got to get them together," she said. Mana had a determined look in her eyes, and once she set her mind to something there was no stopping her.

Anzu looked back at them and smiled. "They are cute together."

"I know right! Now I can't wait for the hula dance! Ryou's gonna be totally completely mesmerized by her. You can totally tell he likes her..."

Mana went on, but once again Anzu was half listening. _Oh my gosh, the dance! _Suddenly, she didn't really want to do it anymore. She felt sort of... nervous. Why exactly? She had no clue. She had danced in front of an auditorium full of people before, she didn't know why something as small as this was starting to worry her. But she couldn't back out now. It was her idea, after all.

"It's totally gonna work," Mana finished up. "I'm gonna go catch up with Atem and Yugi. You're coming right?"

Anzu nodded. The group had kind of broken up. Joey and Mai were at the front, walking so far ahead of everyone that they were almost at the beach. Yugi and Atem were next, walking far ahead of Anzu and Mana. Not far behind the two girls were Ryou and Serenity, and behind them were Bakura and Marik. "When did Marik get back there?"

Mana looked back. "I don't know. But at least he's keeping Thiefie company."

_Yeah…_ Anzu thought before they ran to catch up with their friends.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"So what have you been up to?"

Bakura groaned. "Marik?"

"Yeah?"

"Go away."

"Nope."

He sighed. He had forgotten how stubborn Marik could be. "Why not?"

"Because I feel like talking to you." Marik replied simply.

"Yay," Bakura said sarcastically.

Marik smiled and looked around. They were almost to the beach. "You've gotta admit, this place is nice."

Bakura shrugged. "I guess."

"I've never been to a luau before. It sounds pretty cool, though."

"What is it, anyway?" Bakura asked, crossing his arms. As much as he hated to ask, he knew Marik would probably give him a short, simple answer as opposed to Ryou's dictionary definitions.

"What? A luau?"

"Obviously."

"I'm guessing you didn't read the pamphlet. Knowing you, you probably ripped it up and threw it away."

He smirked. "I didn't rip it, actually."

"Good for you. That's improvement." Marik teased.

"Whatever," he replied, but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. As they got to the beach, a Hawaiian lady put a lei around each of their necks. Bakura grimaced in disgust. "And now I've got flowers around my neck. Bloody lovely."

Marik burst out laughing. "It's part of the luau, Bakura."

"You still haven't told me what the bloody hell it is."

"I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it seems like it's just a big Hawaiian party with little activities and stuff."

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes," Marik smirked.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update! :c I've been really busy... But anyways here it is(: So I've decided I'm always going to give my treats to everyone who guesses correctly ^_^ Sooo the pieces of cheesecake go to... PandaTeddyClaws and Aria!(: *pieces of cheesecake* That one was pretty easy right? Of course it was Zorc x) So Bakura almost smiled and Serenity and Ryou have secret crushes on eachother ^_^ how cute. I go back to school tomorrow (bleh :c) so updates are probably gonna take a lot longer :c I'm going to try my best to do a chapter every weekend though. *ahem* REVIEW! Reviews are very much appreciated! Next chapter the Vexshipping begins! (finally xD)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, this story would have been Season 6 ^_^**

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When Marik and Bakura finally caught up to the rest of the group, everyone was already seated around a campfire-looking thing.

"There you two are," Mai exclaimed, "I was starting to think you had gotten lost or something."

Marik sat down next to Mana. Bakura sat between him and Ryou. "It's even more beautiful at night..." his hikari said as he sat down.

Bakura just shrugged in response. The first activity was a sing-along. Apparently the songs were Hawaiian and the lyrics were in the tourist pamphlet he had thrown away. He didn't care though, it wasn't like he was going to sing anyway.

After that was over, the girls stood up. "We'll be back," Mai announced. Then they all walked away.

"Where are they goin'?" Joey asked.

"No clue," Yugi said. The boys shrugged and turned back to the fire.

A big man came and sat down in an empty spot. He said he was there to tell them some of the legends of the island. _Oh great, story time._ Bakura rolled his eyes.

When the man was done, he invited the teens to come watch the hula dancers. They all walked over to a part of the beach where chairs were set up in front of a darker patch of sand. They talked amongst themselves as they waited for the show to start.

"The girls are missing everything," Yugi said. "Where are they?"

Just then, it started. The hula dancers walked towards the patch of sand in two lines of four, wearing green hula skirts and coconut bras. There were people on the other side of the dark sand as well, so four dancers performed in front of the boys, and the other four were performing for the other side. They were dancing back to back, so the teens couldn't see the dancers on the other side, but they didn't care. The women in front of them were amazing to watch. Eventually, though, the dancers switched positions, and the other four girls came to their side.

"No way!" Yugi's jaw dropped, along with Ryou's and Marik's.

"Aw yeah!" Joey cheered, smiling.

The hula dancers in front of them were Mai, Mana, Anzu, and Serenity. The boys watched in awe as their friends swayed their hips to the music.

"Ra damn..." This came from Marik. He was staring at Mana like she was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

Bakura smirked and looked over at Ryou, who was staring at Serenity the same way. He was just being more subtle about it. "She's beautiful..." he whispered.

Bakura saw this as the perfect opportunity to get back at him a little. "What was that Ryou?"

His hikari blushed in embarrassment and tore his gaze away from Serenity. "Nothing," he said quickly. But after a couple of seconds, he went right back to staring at her again.

The white-haired yami chuckled lightly and turned his attention back to the show. Watching them as a whole, Anzu was the best by far. According to Ryou she was a dancer, so it he wasn't very surprised. He knew absolutely nothing about dancing, but he could tell she knew exactly what she was doing. Her arms moved as gracefully as the professional dancers behind her, and her hips swayed perfectly to the music. He hated to admit it, but she looked like... _A goddess,_ he thought. He shook his head. _But she's still one of the brats. _Then just as quickly as it had started, the performance was over. The girls bowed and walked back to wherever they had come from. Bakura turned to Marik and found him still gazing at Mana, watching her as she walked away. "You like her."

This snapped him out of it. "W-What?

"Oh, don't act like you didn't hear me."

"I..."

Bakura smirked. There was nothing more satisfying than watching Marik lose his cool. "Do," he finished for him.

Marik glared at him, but then he sighed. "Maybe..."

"Ask her out."

Marik was visibly surprised. "Bakura, are you giving me advice?" he teased.

Bakura shrugged. "Hesitation annoys me. If you want to do something, just do it. There's no point in thinking 'what if' all the time if you can just go and find out."

Marik was thinking about this when the girls came back. The boys started clapping and cheering. All except for Bakura, of course.

"Hey! There they are!" Joey said, grabbing Serenity and giving her a big hug. "You did great, sis! You looked beautiful!"

"Thank you, Joey," she said, trying to free herself from her brother's suffocating grip.

"You all did. It was very entertaining," Atem spoke up.

They thanked him and then everyone walked back to the fire to roast Hawaiian kebabs. Marik poked Mana in the side when she walked up between them and she giggled in delight. "Um, you looked beautiful out there," he said shyly.

She smiled at him, blushing a little. "Really?" He nodded and she gave him a hug. "Well thank you."

Marik mumbled "You're welcome" and didn't say anything more. Bakura shook his head and smirked. _He's afraid to ask. I'll have fun teasing him later..._

"Sooo," Mana elbowed him in the side, "What'd you think, Thiefie?"

"I told you not to call me that," he hissed.

"I know, but I didn't listen."

Bakura glared at her and she smiled.

The rest of the luau consisted of them sitting in a circle roasting kebabs over the fire, talking about all sorts of things. The kebabs were delicious, but eventually Bakura got bored and stood up. He could care less what the brats were talking about anyway.

"Where are you going, Bakura?" Ryou asked.

"None—"

"—of your business." Ryou had said at the same time as Bakura, mimicking his voice almost perfectly, causing everyone to start laughing.

Bakura rolled his eyes and walked away. He didn't go far, though. Just to the shoreline. He looked out at the ocean. It looked like it went on forever. The moon was shining down on the water, making it glisten and glow. Stars dotted the sky like polka dots. He had never seen anything like it. He was watching the ocean sway when he felt a presence beside him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" It was Anzu.

"I suppose," he grumbled.

It was silent after that. She was looking up at the sky and didn't notice that he was staring at her. The moon was reflecting off of her porcelain skin, making it glow just like the water was... the water that was the exact same color as her eyes. He hated to admit it, but she was beautiful. And for some weird reason, her presence wasn't bothering him. He shook his head and looked out at the horizon.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice when Anzu started to stare at him. She had never stood this close to him without being afraid. Now she felt almost comfortable in his presence. It was nice. "What are you thinking about, Bakura?"

Without looking at her, he answered, "I'm wondering why I haven't told you to leave yet."

"Maybe you don't want me to."

He smirked. "You think I want you here?"

"Not necessarily, but it's not like you don't."

It was silent for a moment while they both thought about this. "You used to be afraid of me. What changed?"

"Times changed," she responded.

"What's to say I won't kill you right now?"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh really?" he challenged, turning to face her.

She was looking out over the ocean. "You're not the same as you used to be. You're not as... crazy."

To her surprise, he smiled a little. She couldn't help but notice how good it looked on him. She could see the corner of his mouth twitching as he tried to fight it.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with being happy, Bakura."

The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. He turned away from her and said, "Try going through what I've been through. Then you wouldn't be saying that."

"You've got to let go of the past," she told him. She put a hand on his arm. Surprisingly, he didn't shake it off.

"The past shouldn't be forgotten," he said harshly.

"Yeah, but sometimes it's the only way to move on."

He thought about this for a moment before pulling his arm away. "We should be getting back," he said, walking away. He heard her sigh before following behind him.

"You ready to go, 'Kura?" Ryou asked when they reached them. The rest of the group was standing up, preparing to leave.

"I was ready to go before we even got here."

"Of course," Ryou sighed.

As they left the beach, Bakura turned around and looked at the horizon one last time before following the others back to the hotel.

* * *

**Yaaaaaaaay! I found time to update this(: So the Vexshipping has taken flight ;) Very slowly, but it's getting there :P And so have the other pairings ^_^ Somebody pleeeeeease tell me what shipping Marik x Mana is cuz I'm totally too lazy to check :P I know Joey x Mai is Polarshipping... And the name for Ryou x Serenity is on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember :o So anyways. REVIEW! Sophomore year is kicking my butt, and all the homework I get from my Honors classes takes up like 99% of my time, but when I remember the amazing reviews I get, it motivates me to make time for this(: So REVIEW! The next update might take two weeks because of my busy schedule, so don't hate me if next weekend rolls around and this story is still only up to chapter 9 :c Blame that ugly place called "high school" :c**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, the first episode wouldn't have been so terribly scripted :P **

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"Ahhh!" Bakura sat up in bed, eyes wide. He grasped his arm, and feeling no pain, he started to feel each individual bone with his fingers. _That damn dream... _The hotel room was much too dark for his liking. He climbed out of bed and opened the curtains as far as they would go. The moon flooded his room with light. He sighed deeply. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts after the luau that he had forgotten to take his 5-Hour Energy... Therefore the nightmare had returned. He placed both hands on the windowsill and observed the landscape below him. He had to admit, it was extremely peaceful where they were. If only he could find peace within himself... A small movement below caught his eye. He scanned the scene until he found it: someone was leaning against the railing behind the hotel looking out to the ocean. It was definitely a female silhouette. It looked like... He smirked and grabbed his black trench coat before hopping out of the window.

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She closed her eyes and allowed her other senses take over. The fresh smell of the sand filled her nose as she inhaled. The brisk night air settled on her skin, and she could practically taste the saltiness of the sea in the air. The sound of silence was-

"Don't you have a bedtime, Mazaki?"

Anzu jumped at the sound of his voice right behind her and spun around. He was standing directly in front of her and his hands gripped the rail on either side of her, trapping her between his arms. "B-Bakura w-what-"

"B-B-B" He mimicked her.

She glared at him but couldn't hide her blush. Their faces were just inches apart. "It's not nice to scare people..."

He moved his lips next to her ear. "When people describe me, the word 'nice' doesn't really come to mind." He smirked when he felt an involuntary shudder go through her body. He moved back to look her in the eyes. "Do you still think I'm 'not as crazy', Mazaki?"

She looked into his dark mahogany eyes and saw that even though he was trying to scare her, he had no intention of hurting her. "I'll have to get back to you on that," she said boldly.

Smirking, he let go of the rail and stood beside her instead of in front of her. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I just needed to think."

"You can't do that in your hotel room?"

"Why do you care anyway?" she fired back a bit irritated.

He was about to snap at her when he realized he didn't know the answer. Why did he care?

Anzu could see he didn't know what to say, and not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, she answered his question instead. "The fresh air-"

"-helps to clear your head," he finished for her. "Ryou says that all the time."

"Well do you agree?"

"I guess."

Anzu paused a moment before asking, "You really care about him don't you? You don't like to show it, but you do."

Bakura shrugged. "I guess."

"If he was hanging off the edge of a cliff would you lift him up?"

"Yes."

She was surprised at how quickly and surely he answered. "Then you do," she said softly.

He remained quiet and stared up at the towering hotel. He turned around to look at the seemingly endless ocean and night sky, but his eyes got interrupted along the way. Anzu was wearing a thin light blue nightgown with a low neckline. It was a bit short; it ended at mid-thigh. It showed off every curve on her body and he couldn't help but stare. The light breeze was playing with her hair, making it rise and fall at regular intervals. He tore his gaze away and looked out at the ocean.

"There's more to you than you let on..." Anzu whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"You can be kind, you just choose not to be."

"It leads to vulnerability," he mumbled.

"Well," she let go of the rail, "No one is trying to hurt you." And with that she walked away.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." he mumbled as he watched her walk away.

He glanced at the beautiful scenery in front of him before turning his back to it and walking back to the hotel. Once inside he opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator. On his way up, he was surprised to see a familiar face coming down.

"Oh, hello Bakura. I wasn't expecting to bump into you."

"Pharaoh," he grumbled in acknowledgement. _Of all the people I could have run into..._

"Please, call me Atem."

"Whatever," he responded, brushing past him.

"Bakura?"

"What now?"

Atem leaned against the wall. "I... I just..."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like the Pharaoh to hesitate or stutter.

He sighed. "I never got the chance to apologize. I'm sorry for all the pain and grief my family has caused you. If I could go back and save your village I would, but unfortunately I can't. So I apologize for my uncle's actions and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me."

Bakura stood there in absolute shock. Here stood the high and mighty pharaoh apologizing to him. He didn't know what to say.

Atem nodded in complete understanding. He knew it would take Bakura a while to feel anything other than hate towards him. "Well it was nice talking to you. I'll see you later."

Bakura walked back to his hotel room in a daze. He simply didn't know what to make of things anymore. For the first time in his 5000 years, he felt utterly confused. He opened and closed the door to his hotel room slowly and quietly. Looking around, he realized he didn't know what to do. He wasn't tired, and he even if he was he didn't want to go to sleep. Finally, he decided to just sit and think. The only problem was, he didn't know what to think anymore.

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**OMG I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! :c I've been uber busy with school :c But I haven't forgotten about this story! It's been on my mind every weekend! Plus this chapter was a doozy to write :_ but I finally got it done. Sooo we're starting to see cracks in Bakura's hard shell ^_^ And a little bit of vulnerability to a certain blue-eyed girl ^_^ Haha so REVIEW! (if you don't hate me for taking so long update! :c) I'll probably update again sometime over Spring Break. And remember: I will never forget about this story! Have faith in me people! No matter how long it takes me, I will eventually update. You have my word. And I'll update a lot more often when school is out :P**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Mai's voice would have remained the same throughout the series (idk the change bothered me :\ I hated how she sounded in season 4 :\). I do not own "Stay" by Rihanna & Mikky Ekko either :P**

* * *

_**singing**_

_thought_

* * *

_**All along it was a fever**_

_**A cold sweat, hot-headed believer**_

Marik was enjoying a nice early morning walk when the sound of someone singing made him stop in his tracks. He had been about to walk around the back of the hotel but he stopped to listen to the girl's voice. She was singing a song his sister often played and he had ended up liking.

_**I threw my hands in the air, said "Show me something"**_

He found himself mouthing the words along with her. The voice was coming from around the corner he was about to turn. It sounded slightly familiar, but he couldn't quite figure out who it was. _Whoever it is, she has a beautiful singing voice... _He was captivated.

_**He said "If you dare, come a little closer"**_

Not being able to contain his curiosity, he poked his head around the corner. His jaw dropped as he realized this beautiful voice had been coming from a girl equally as beautiful. It was Mana.

_**Round and around and around and around we go**_

He slowly walked up behind her, not wanting her to stop.

_**Ohh ohh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know**_

Before he knew what he was doing, he began to sing the chorus.

_**Not really sure how to feel about it, something in the way you move**_

She spun around surprised, but relaxed when she realized it was Marik. Next thing she knew, he was holding her hands and staring deep into her eyes.

_**Makes me feel like I can't live without you, it takes me all the way**_

_**I want you to stay**_

She was just as mesmerized by his voice as he was with hers. They sang together in perfect harmony and stared into each other's eyes as the world around them seemed to melt away.

_**Oooooo the reason I hold on**_

_**Oooooo cuz I need this hole gone**_

_**Funny you're the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving**_

_**Cuz when you never see the light, it's hard to know which one of us is caving**_

They stopped. Marik didn't know where this sudden fearlessness had come from, but it was starting to fade. It was now or never. "Mana..."

"Yeah?"

"I, umm, I feel like..." He sighed. He just couldn't find the right words.

She laughed at her friend's unusual shyness. "It's fine, Marik. I feel like that, too." She kissed his cheek and snuggled into his warm embrace.

Marik looked down at the lovely girl in his arms and smiled. "Have you eaten?"

She shook her head.

"Let me take you out to breakfast."

Now it was her turn to smile. "Okay."

With that they set off, hand in hand, to find a place to eat.

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Bakura watched as the scene below unfolded. Before they walked off, Marik looked up and spotted Bakura in the window. He mouthed what looked like a "thank you" before leaving. Bakura smirked and turned back to his room. He had woken up that morning feeling... different. He didn't know what it was, but something just felt different. His eyes widened as he realized something. _I didn't have that dream last night..._ He ran his fingers through his snow white hair. That wasn't the only thing that felt different, though. There were three soft knocks at his door. Without turning around he said, "Come in, Ryou."

His hikari slowly opened the door and stepped in. "Good morning," he said cheerfully.

Bakura hesitated before saying, "Good morning."

Ryou's shock was evident on his face. Bakura never said good morning back to him... Ever. "Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, I did."

"Good," Ryou smiled.

Bakura turned around to look at his light half. He looked slightly confused. "What?"

"You just seem different today, 'Kura."

"Is it a bad thing?" he snapped.

Ryou's eyes widened. "No, not at all. I just want to make sure nothing is wrong."

Bakura sighed. "I'm fine, Ryou. Was that all you wanted?"

"Uh, no, uh," he stammered, still caught off guard by how nice Bakura was being, "Well we're all going on an outing today. No particular destination, just driving around and stopping when we find a place to shop or take pictures. I was wondering if you'd like to come with us."

"Well, I've got nothing better to do."

Once again, Ryou was shocked. It was a pleasant kind of shocked, though. He smiled. "Okay, cool. Well Joey rented an SUV so we'll ride with them."

"Who exactly is "them"?"

"Well Joey, Mai, and Serenity, of course. And I think Anzu is riding with us."

A peculiar sensation ran through Bakura's body when he heard her name. He didn't know how to describe it. It wasn't a bad feeling, it was just something he had never felt before. _Well, this will be interesting._

"We're gonna leave around noon so just come over to my room when you're ready, okay?" Ryou said, heading for the door. "See ya." And he was gone.

Bakura didn't know what to do. That is, until his stomach started growling. _Well, I guess I'll go try the amazing food everyone has been talking about... _He went off to find the hotel's café.

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Anzu was sitting at a table sipping orange juice when a familiar figure walked into the room. After he got all of his food he was about to leave, but then he spotted her. She smiled at him, an invitation in her eyes. He smirked and ended up sitting down in front of her.

"Anzu," he greeted.

"Bakura," she replied.

It was quiet after that. Neither of them knew what to say.

Finally, Anzu asked, "So, are you coming with us this afternoon?"

"I am actually."

She almost choked. "Really?"

He smirked. "Well if you don't want me to I can always-"

"No!" she exclaimed, surprising both him and herself. "I mean, it's a good thing you're going."

"And why is that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She flushed slightly as she tried to think of an excuse as to why he should go. Deep down she knew the real reason why she wanted him to go, but she would never tell him that. "It'll just be good for you to be around friends," she said quickly. She finished her orange juice and stood up. "Well, I'll see you later." _Nice one, Anzu,_ she thought as she walked out of the room.

Bakura watched her go. He smiled a little. There was nothing more satisfying than making Anzu Mazaki lose her cool. _Friends..._ he thought. For some reason, the word didn't disgust him today. It didn't disgust him at all. _What is going on?_

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**What _is_ going on? Haha yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I updated :) Sorry for not updating over Spring Break :c I was enjoying the little bit of freedom I'll have until summer :c Anyways, oooooh love is in the air ;) And Bakura being kinda nice? What planet are we on?! Ohh, wait. While you're reading my story, you're on MY planet cx Mwahahaha. REVIEW! I'm not getting as many as I used to :c it's making me sad :c The more reviews I get, the more it motivates me to finish all my homework quicker so I can update! So review! Please c: Haha more romance ensues next chapter! Idk when i'll update again... It might be a few weeks since I have State Tests coming up xc But I can guarantee you that i will NEVER update during the week while school is in :c most of the time i update on Sunday evenings :P if you even care anymore xD Until next time :) And sorry again :c**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, I would have made myself a character. I would walk up to Kaiba and be like "Hey I'm Jade" and he'd be like "Oh you're that one hypocritical chick who always used to complain when people didn't update their stories and now you're doing it?" and I'd be like "It's not intentional I'm just-" and then his Blue Eyes White Dragon would gobble me up :c Because I deserve it :c **

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Bakura stood at his hikari's hotel room door not knowing what to do. He had never knocked on a door before... It had always seemed like a stupid idea to him. Why knock on someone's door when you can just yell for them to open it? They can hear you perfectly fine from the other side. He had never been in this situation before; back home Ryou's door was always open or at least partially open. So he continued to stand there staring at the door hoping his light would just sense him and open it. _That mind link thing sure would've come in handy right now... _Suddenly a hand shot out from beside him and knocked on the door. By the time he looked up she was already at her own hotel room. Anzu smirked at him before disappearing inside. He made a mental note of which door was hers.

"Oh hey there Bakura," Ryou greeted, holding the door open, "You ready to go?"

"I guess," he grumbled.

Ryou glanced at the clock. "Well we aren't leaving for another 10 minutes so why don't you come inside?"

Bakura hesitated before shrugging and accepting the invitation. He noticed Ryou was wearing one of those Hawaiian shirts with flowers all over it, one he hadn't seen him wear before. "When did you get that?" he inquired.

Ryou blushed when he realized what he was talking about. "Oh, this? Serenity bought it for me, actually. It's quite comfortable." He was looking at himself in the mirror as he talked.

Bakura sat down on the bed. "She seems to like you."

"Do you think so?" he asked, looking hopefully at his yami through the mirror.

"Why don't you just find out for yourself? "

Ryou sighed. "I... I don't know... I don't have the confidence... I wish I was more like you 'Kura. You're so fearless. I bet you wouldn't be afraid to flirt with a girl..."

Two blue eyes involuntarily made their way into Bakura's mind. He shook his head to get rid of the thought.

Ryou noticed and raised an eyebrow. "_Is_ there a girl, Bakura?"

"What? Of course not," he snapped.

"Oh, you looked like... Well, okay." He knew there was something Bakura wasn't telling him, but he decided to leave it alone and see if he would tell him on his own. Bakura had been acting different lately, but in a good way. He was making progress quicker than Ryou thought was possible.

"Well are we leaving yet?" Bakura asked impatiently.

"Well we have a few minutes left, but I suppose we should be a little early for once," he replied. He grabbed his camera off the nightstand and opened the door. "Shall we?" And with that they made their way to the parking lot.

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"Sooooo Marik asked me out." Mana was sitting Indian style on Anzu's bed while she was trying to find a pair of shorts to wear. It was hotter outside than she had anticipated. Her ever so bubbly friend was chattering excitedly behind her. "He took me out to breakfast earlier and asked me on the way back to the hotel. It was soooo cute like he looked so shy it was adorable. I'm so happy now," she finished.

"I'm happy for you," Anzu said with a smile. "It was only a matter of time, though."

"Ya know Atem said the same thing."

"It's because it's true. It was obvious he liked you, everyone else was just waiting for him to make his move."

Mana giggled. "I knew this trip would be amazing. They say Paris is the love capital of the world or whatever, but Hawaii isn't far behind it. Joey and Mai are becoming closer than ever, Marik and I hooked up, and it's only a matter of time for Serenity and Ryou. And," she paused to build the suspense.

"And what?" Anzu asked, taking a sip of water.

"And, I couldn't help but notice you slip away from the campfire to go talk to Bakura," she said innocently.

Anzu nearly choked to death. "Oh please, Mana. That's not going to happen."

"Well why not?"

"It just won't," she said evasively. "Aha! I knew I had another pair of shorts in here." She held up the shorts victoriously before going to the bathroom to change.

Mana hopped off the bed and stood by the bathroom door where her friend could hear her. She wasn't about to give up that easily. "I think you guys would make a cute couple."

"Not gonna happen," came the reply from the other side.

"You're in denial, Anzu."

"No I'm not." She emerged from the bathroom newly clad in her shorts, glaring at her friend.

"If you say so. I'll be keeping an eye on you two, though. After a while your feelings are going to get the better of you and you'll come running to me for advice. And I'll be glad to help," she chimed.

Anzu playfully rolled her eyes. "It's about time to go."

"Well what are we waiting for then?" Mana opened the door in a dramatic fashion. "Let's go!"

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After about an hour or two of sightseeing, the gang was on their way to the mall listed on their pamphlets. Mai could hardly contain her excitement. "Ooooo I wonder what stores they'll have there. And boutiques! I wonder if they have Sephora out here. Maybe I can pick up some Hawaiian makeup tips," she smiled cheerfully.

Joey was driving the rented SUV containing Mai, Serenity, Ryou, Bakura, and Anzu while Mana, Yugi, and Atem were riding with Marik. Joey was terrible with directions, but Marik seemed to know where he was going so all he had to do was follow closely behind him. "So I guess you'll be dragging me into these stores and boutiques with ya, huh?"

"Well of course! I need someone to tell me what looks good on me and what doesn't."

"What doesn't look good on you?" he said, taking her hand.

"Oh, stop," she replied, blushing.

Anzu leaned forward to talk to Serenity, who was sitting in front of her next to Ryou. "I'm glad Mana wasn't here to hear that."

She laughed. "We would all be deaf right now if she was."

Bakura was sitting in the back next to Anzu. He was silently cursing himself for forgetting his iPod

"'Kura?" Ryou turned around to face him.

"What?"

"Um, we'll be at the mall in a few minutes."

"Okay," he replied indifferently.

"Well, last time we went to the mall... Just don't steal anything this time, okay?"

Bakura smirked. "I can't guarantee any promises."

"I figured that," Ryou sighed. He turned back around and stared out his window at passing cars, too shy to try and talk to Serenity.

The group rode the rest of the way in silence, except for the occasional buzz of Anzu's cell phone. Mana had been texting her non-stop since they got in the cars. She looked down to check the text she had just received.

[R u sitting next to Thiefie?]

She rolled her eyes. [Well yeah but only bcuz Serenity sat next to Ryou]

[Still :3]

[Ur not gonna let this go r u?]

[Nope]

She sighed. [Mana he doesn't like me. Come on this is Bakura we're talking about here]

[U claim he doesn't like u (which I think is a bunch of baloney) but do u like him? Be honest]

She stared at her phone for a while, not knowing how to respond. She wanted to write "hell no" but for some reason she just couldn't.

"And here we are folks!" Joey said.

She looked up to see that the mall's parking lot had magically appeared out of nowhere and that they were already parked in it. She pocketed her phone gratefully and climbed out of the SUV.

"It's huge!" Mai exclaimed.

"Oh brother..." Joey groaned.

"Come on let's go!" she squealed, grabbing her boyfriend by the arm and dragging him towards the entrance.

"We'll see you guys later!" Joey yelled. At the pace Mai was moving they were already halfway there.

The gang had gathered in a huddle between the two cars. "So, what now?" Yugi asked.

"Now we shop!" Mana exclaimed. She took Marik's hand and started walking the same way Mai and Joey had gone.

"Apparently now we shop," said Atem. The rest of the group followed after them.

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**Hi there(: Please don't hate me :c Ya know, I went to Starbucks with my friend last week and I was telling her about how I've been all busy this vacation (AP class=summer assignment :c) therefore I haven't been able to update my story. You know what she said? She was like "Jade you're terrible. Remember when you used to read fanfiction before you got all busy? And you would get all mad when you read a story you liked and the author never updated it? You're doing the exact same thing to some poor person who liked your story." It made me feel terrible :c BUT! It also motivated me to update. I had kinda lost the flow of the story but I reread it and totally got my flow back and I am ready to get this thing going again! REVIEW! If I even have any followers left :c Sorry guys :c But like I've said before, reviews keep me motivated(: and since it took me so long to update this thing you are getting the treat of a double update! Yaaaaaaaay! Thank my friend, Natalie(: The Vexshipping resumes next chapter! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, the Blue Eyes wouldn't like the way I tasted so he'd spit me out. Then I'd be like "Yaaaaaaaaay" and walk away. Then I would run into Yami Marik and be like "Oh hi there I'm Jade" and he'd be like "Oh you're that one hypocritical chick who-" and I'd cut him off like "OKAY I GET IT I'M SORRY DAMN" and then his Winged Dragon of Ra would gobble me up :c because I deserve it :c**

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It had been almost 3 hours, and Anzu didn't understand how her friends weren't ready to leave yet. There was only so much shopping she could take, but Mana seemed like she could do it forever.

"Does this look okay Anzu?" she asked, emerging from the dressing room in a lavender halter top.

"It looks great," she replied, "And you know Marik likes lavender."

"Oooo you're right," she squealed. "I'll get this one."

As soon as she walked back into the dressing room, Serenity emerged from the one she had been in.

"Um, do I look okay in this Anzu?" she asked timidly.

Anzu gasped. Serenity was wearing a long, casual, light brown dress that flowed behind her when she walked. It was snug, and revealed the curves that had always been hidden by her hoodies and jeans. "You look beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, blushing.

"Waaaaaait I wanna see!" Mana whined from inside her dressing room. She gasped dramatically when she saw Serenity and spun her around a couple of times. "Oh my Ra you look absolutely beautiful. You have to get this dress," she said in awe.

"Okay," Serenity replied. She rushed back into the dressing room in an attempt to prevent Mana from doing her famous squeal.

"That was beautiful," Mana said, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye. "Anyhoo, I still have a few things to try on." She made her way back to her dressing room to try on another top.

Anzu sighed. Not wanting to spend all of her money, she had completed her shopping an hour ago. For the past hour she had just been going into stores with Mana and Serenity, advising them on what looked good and what didn't. She didn't mind helping her friends, but she was beginning to get bored. She stood up from the chair she had been sitting in for the past ten minutes. "I'm gonna go walk around okay?" she called to her friends, "I'll meet you guys at the food court when you're done."

"But Anzuuuuuu," Mana poked her head out from behind the curtain and pouted. "We need you. Who's gonna help us?"

She laughed. "You guys don't really need any help. Everything you've tried on so far looked great."

"Well, okay. But be careful and call us if you need us," Serenity said.

"Okay then." And with that she walked out into the main mall. The smell of fresh pretzels hit her nose immediately. _Mmm, pretzels. _She found the source of the delicious smell and started walking towards it in a trance, but something shining in a store display caught her attention. Unable to contain her curiosity, she made her way over to the glass. It was small jewelry store, and the shiny thing being displayed was a silver dogtag necklace. The sign next to it said, "Engraving $20". She was about to leave when an idea struck her. She looked back and forth between the dogtag and the pretzel place before making up her mind. _I don't know why I'm doing this,_ she thought before walking into the store.

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"Oh come on Bakura, just try it on."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

Marik had been trying unsuccessfully for the past ten minutes to get Bakura to try on the plaid shirts Ryou had picked out for him. "Try something new for once."

"No."

Ryou sighed irritably. "Bakura, please just try on the bloody shirts. If you don't like them I'll put them back but we are not leaving this store until you try on at least one of them."

Once again, Bakura was impressed. "Fine," he said, taking the shirts, "Now if only you could muster up that much courage and talk to Serenity." He smirked at the expression on his hikari's face and went off to find a dressing room. Once inside he pulled off his T-shirt and slipped on one of the thin plaid shirts. _This is stupid,_ he thought, _this is a complete waste of-_ His thoughts were cut short when he saw himself in the mirror. He actually thought he looked... good. And he couldn't help but admit the shirt was pretty comfortable. _Alright, you win this time, Ryou._

It took him a while, but eventually he found Marik and Ryou. They had travelled to the other side of the store and were sampling colognes. He hung the shirts on Ryou's arm.

"Well? Did you like them?" Marik asked.

Bakura shrugged. "Sure."

Ryou smiled. "I thought you would. You should really start listening to me, Bakura. I usually know what's best for you."

"Maybe," he replied.

Marik's jaw dropped and shock was evident on Ryou's face. They definitely weren't expecting to hear that.

"I'm going to go walk around," Bakura announced.

"Well, umm, okay." Ryou stammered, still in shock. "I'll text you when we're about to leave the mall. Don't steal anything."

Bakura smirked and gave a thumbs up before walking out of the store.

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Anzu was sitting at a table in the food court with her head down. All she wanted was to leave. It was beginning to get way too crowded and the noise level in the food court was giving her a headache. Being there had been fun for the first two hours, but after that she was ready to go.

"Someone doesn't look very happy."

"I'm ready to leave," she replied without looking up. She already knew who it was. She felt him sit down in front of her.

"Well then leave."

"Yeah, okay, I'll just go start the car up without the key and drive back to the hotel without a clue how to get there," she snapped, sarcasm dripping from the remark.

Bakura chuckled. "Testy, testy," he teased.

She looked up to glare at him, then she realized she had never heard him laugh before. It sounded nice.

He looked down like he was reading something for a few seconds before standing up. "You're in luck. Ryou just texted me and said everyone is heading for the cars now."

"Finally!" She hopped up and grabbed her bags. Bakura had already begun walking towards the entrance, and she ran to catch up with him. "I didn't even know you had a phone."

"Yeah. I told Ryou that they're useless and that I had no desire to have one but he got me one anyway. Said something about my safety and emergencies and whatnot."

"Well you can't blame him for being worried. You're the only family he's got, and from what he tells us, you go out walking alone at night pretty often. Anything can happen."

He chuckled again, making Anzu smile a little. "When I'm out at night he should be worried about the safety of others, not mine."

"Maybe, but you know better than anyone that plenty of things can be concealed in the shadows..." she trailed off, "You're not immortal anymore, Bakura. You're not as safe as you think you are."

They were quiet as he thought about this for a moment. "Why are you so concerned about my safety, Mazaki?"

She waited a while before she answered. "Maybe because I care about you."

Soon they made it to the SUV. Everyone else was already there. "Well, that's everyone," Ryou announced.

"Great, let's get a move on. I'm starving," Joey said as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"Joey, you just ate," his girlfriend pointed out, poking his stomach.

"So?"

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Hawaii was even more beautiful at night. The ride home was fairly quiet; everyone was looking out their windows enjoying the scenery. Anzu had her head back against the seat and was about to close her eyes when she felt the SUV accelerate. The traffic light was yellow and they were far behind Marik, who had already made it through.

"Joey..." warned Mai.

"Hang on guys!" he yelled.

The SUV accelerated even more as Joey zoomed to make the turn before the light changed. Anzu looked down and realized too late that she had forgotten to put on her seatbelt. _Uh oh..._ Joey sped through the light and made a sharp left turn that threw her to the right- straight into Bakura. She had expected to feel his hands pushing her away, but to her surprise he had opened his arms and caught her. Everyone else in the car was too busy scolding Joey to notice. The embarrassment set in and a blush spread across her cheeks like a wildfire.

Bakura smirked. "They made seatbelts for a reason, Anzu."

"I-I'm sorry I..." she stuttered. His arms were still around her waist, and her hands had ended up against his chest. She felt him begin to loosen his grip. "Don't..." she whispered. It had slipped out before she could stop it. He froze and looked at her curiously. "...tease me," she finished. She scooted back to her seat and internally thanked God for letting her think of that save.

He chuckled and looked out the window. "But you make it oh so easy for me to do so."

Anzu pouted and fastened her seatbelt. She couldn't stop thinking about the feel of his arms around her. It felt so natural and right... The event kept playing over and over in her head. She liked the way he said her name. _"They made seatbelts for a reason, Anzu..." _She liked the way he said everything... A funny, tingling feeling had developed in her stomach, and it wasn't going away. She sighed in defeat and took out her phone. Mana's name was already at the top of her message list.

[Mana? I need to talk to u about something...]

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**Crazy stuff, man, crazy stuff x) Gimme a R! Gimme a E! Gimme a V! Gimme a I! Gimme a E! Gimme a W! What does that spell? REVIEW! ... review please c: Haha this chapter was fun to write. I hope it was fun to read(: Softshipping next chapter! And of course more Vexshipping ;) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Ohh look guys! I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh :P If I did, Kaiba and/or Bakura would've had a shirtless scene. A few, actually x)**

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"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I knew it I knew it I knew it!"

"Shhhh Mana!" Anzu clamped her hand around her friend's mouth. "Promise me you won't squeal anymore." Mana shook her head yes and Anzu let her go.

"I'm sorry it's just so cute! Tell me the story again?"

"Ugh, Mana I've told you the story three times already. I'm starting to regret telling you in the first place."

"Noooooo. I'm glad you told me."

"I bet you are..." Anzu mumbled.

"I told you your feelings would get the best of you," Mana said triumphantly.

"Yeah, you did."

"So what now?"

"I'm not really sure..." she answered, looking out the window.

Mana nodded in understanding. "Well, just do what your heart is telling you to, ya know?"

"Yeah, okay. Thanks," Anzu said.

"Any time," Mana answered with a smile.

"Well it's kinda late, I'd better get going."

"Aww, okay. Well sleep tight, Anzu. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks," she replied. She walked out of her friend's room and closed the door quietly. _I'm not really tired... at all. _She sighed, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly, she remembered something. She rushed back to her room to grab something before heading downstairs.

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Ryou opened his hotel room door and peeked out. He thought he heard someone run down the hallway a few seconds ago, but it was empty now. He was about to close his door and go back to sleep when he heard another door open to his right. Light flooded the hallway and Serenity's head poked out. She spotted Ryou almost instantly and smiled. He smiled and waved at her. Bakura's words came back to him then. _"Now if only you could muster up that much courage and talk to Serenity"_ Before he knew it, he was walking over to her. "Hello Serenity. Did you hear something too?"

"Yes it sounded like someone was in a hurry. But I don't see anything now so I guess everything is okay," she replied.

"Yeah..." They stood there awkwardly for a second, neither of them knowing what to say. Ryou could practically hear Bakura in his head, _Talk to her, you idiot! _"Can't get to sleep?" he asked, referring to her room light.

"Well, not exactly. I'm making something and I've been up for a while working on it," she explained. "You wanna see it?"

"Sure," he replied.

She beamed, making his heart melt inside his chest. "Okay, well come on in."

Upon entry he immediately noticed a large canvas sitting on the floor. On the canvas was a drawing. The actual picture was completed, but it was only half colored in. It was upside down from where he was standing, but the drawing appeared to be of people. Serenity led him to the other side of the canvas so he could see it properly. He gasped. It was a drawing of the whole gang, even Bakura. It was incredibly accurate, down to every last feature. "It's perfect."

She blushed. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"It is absolutely perfect, just..." he trailed off. He wanted to say something else, but he was too shy and tongue-tied by her beauty to get it out. Again, he could hear his yami in his head, _Say it. _"...like you."

Her eyes grew wide. "Ryou..."

"I got you something; just give me a moment to go get it."

She waited, and when he came back he had his hands hidden behind him.

"Close your eyes and put your hair up for me okay?"

She nodded and did as he asked. _What is he doing?_ she wondered.

"No peeking." When he was sure her eyes were closed he took out a beautiful silver necklace with a blue gem dangling from the chain. He walked behind her and put it around her neck. "Okay, you can open them now."

She immediately ran to the mirror. "Ryou it's beautiful! Thank you," she exclaimed.

"A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl," he replied. He didn't have a clue where this sudden confidence was coming from, but he was grateful for it. Before he knew it she was hugging him tightly. He put his arms around her and laid his head on hers. It was lovely having her in his arms. _Well, it's now or never._ "Serenity, I really like you. And I've really liked you for a long time. If the feeling isn't mutual I understand..."

She looked up at him and smiled. "The feeling is mutual, Ryou. I never would've have imagined that you'd fall for a simple girl like me, though."

"And I never would've thought that you'd fall for an awkward guy like me."

"You're not awkward, Ryou."

"Well you're not simple. You're amazing."

She blushed and snuggled into his chest. "Thank you again for the necklace," she said before letting go.

"You're very welcome," he smiled. "So, um, that being said, would you like to go out with me?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Okay then, umm-" he was cut short when she suddenly stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. It was just a peck, short and sweet, but it was enough to make him lose his train of thought completely. "Your lips are so soft..."

"Thank you," she giggled.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now. Sweet dreams, Serenity," he said, giving her one last hug.

"Good night, Ryou."

Once back in his room he plopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. _She's my girlfriend now... _He smiled in the dark before falling asleep.

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For the first time in 5000 years, Bakura genuinely smiled without trying to hold back. He had been hiding around the corner, eavesdropping on his hikari's conversation. He couldn't help but be proud of him for finally gaining some confidence. Ryou had told him that the trip would do him some good, but it seemed to be working the other way around. And so, Bakura strolled through the sliding glass doors of the hotel with a smile, an expression that felt strange and foreign on his face. It was different, but lately "different" hadn't necessarily been a bad thing. He walked around the outside of the hotel until he arrived at his destination. She was there, just like he thought she would be. "Anzu, just who I wanted to see."

"Oh really? Why?" No surprises this time; she had been waiting for him.

"No reason," he answered truthfully. She tried to hide her smile, but he noticed it anyway. He noticed everything about her.

"I never wanna leave this place... It's so beautiful," she admired.

Bakura leaned against the rail and looked out to the ocean. "Perhaps."

She fiddled with a small bag she had been holding in her hand. "What are you going to do when we get back home?"

"The same things I always do."

"You aren't going to hang out with us sometimes?"

He was quiet for a moment as he contemplated this. "Maybe..."

Anzu smiled. She opened her bag and pulled out the dogtag necklace she had bought at the mall. "Do you like presents?"

He looked at her in confusion. "Hmm?" She dropped the necklace in his hand and he held it up by the beady chain. The dog tag part of it was engraved with the word _Thief_ in red, cursive letters. He stared at it for a while before putting it around his neck and staring at it from that angle. He couldn't help but admit it was perfect for him. "I like it."

"I thought you would," Anzu said, smiling.

"Well thank you," he said, "But what is the occasion?"

"No particular reason," she answered, "I just thought you might like it."

They were standing very close to each other, to where their arms brushed every now and then. But neither of them minded. They were just enjoying the moment. Watching the water rise and fall and the wind rustle the leaves of the palm trees. It was at that moment that Bakura realized he didn't really want to leave either. "What are you going to do when we get home?"

She shrugged. "Same things I always do."

"I see..."

"Bakura?"

"Hmm?"

"In the car... Why did you catch me instead of pushing me away?"

He waited before answering, "Maybe because I care about you." And with that he walked away.

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**Aww c: How nice. This is the last Hawaii chapter guys! Next chapter we're back in Domino City and the Vexshipping speeds up! Cuz I know that's what you want(: REVIEW! And a big thank you to all my reviewers for the last few chapters(: You guys rock(: Thanks for sticking with me even when I take way too long to update :P **


	15. Chapter 15

**Unfortunately, I am not the proud owner of Yu-Gi-Oh. If I was, Serenity would have stayed around after the end of Season 3.**

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Before they knew it, their time in Hawaii was over. The days flew by until suddenly, they were all packing their bags preparing for the flight home. They were all a little sad to be leaving, but were thankful for the time they got to spend in one of the most beautiful parts of America. The plane ride back home wasn't as fun and exciting as the other; they knew once they got off that jet, it was back to everyday life. Despite this realization, the friends lifted the mood by reminiscing about the fun and adventures they had had together on the island, memories they would cherish forever. So despite the slight disappointment they felt at seeing the familiar landscape of Japan and the looming presence of school, which would be starting again in a couple of days, they knew that as long as they had each other, their lives would be eventful enough. After two or three days, everyone had settled back into their routines and couldn't help but admit that it was nice to be home. Well, almost everyone.

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Anzu flickered through channel after channel, hoping she would find something that would capture her interest. No such luck. It was 11:30 pm and all she could find were news shows and reruns of old comedies. She turned the TV off and tossed the remote in irritation. Suddenly, she felt a dull aching in her heart. Putting her hand to her chest, she stared at the telephone. Not a single missed call. During the whole time she was gone, she hadn't received a single call from her, on her cell phone or the home phone. It made her feel so angry, so alone. The pain in her chest began to get sharper as he thought about this more and more. Everyone had someone, everyone but her. All of her friends had someone with them, whether it was family or friends. Yugi had his grandfather to come home to, and also the added bonus of Atem and Mana staying with them. Joey came home to Mai and Serenity, with occasional visits from his mother. Marik always had Ishizu and Odion. Ryou's parents called twice a month and sent money, and, of course, he had Bakura. And her? No one. She lived alone in her little apartment. Her mother, an aspiring fashion designer, was constantly traveling and hardly ever called. She would receive an outfit or two for her birthday, but that was all she ever received from her mother. The phone calls she did get were so short they qualified as voicemails. She sighed. Her friends were literally the only thing that kept her going. She didn't know what she would do without them. But at the moment her friends were most likely asleep, and the loneliness was starting to eat away at her. She needed to get out. She stood up and rushed out the door, grabbing only her house key and cell phone.

Once outside, she leaned against her front door for support; she had gotten up too quickly and her head was spinning. The cool night air settled on her skin, instantly making her feel a bit better. The sharp pain in her chest dulled to a constant throb. She had no idea where she intended to go; she just needed the fresh air. She decided to just follow the street lights and see where they led her. The streets were deserted and all was quiet. Something inside of her was warning her to go back, but she didn't want to. _NO. I can't go back there, not yet..._ So she kept walking. At this point she had no idea where she was going, but she knew she didn't want to go back.

After ten minutes or so she became tired. She stopped at the next streetlight and leaned against it to rest. All was quiet until the faint sound of someone laughing broke the silence. She turned around and noticed two young men walking towards her. They looked young, probably college kids, and they were obviously intoxicated.

"Hey Steve, look what we got here!" one of them yelled when they got closer to her.

She instantly regretted not turning back when her intuition told her to.

"Hey there baby," the one named Steve said. They were standing right in front of her now, looking her up and down lustfully. "You lost? Maybe we can take you home."

She knew by the drunken smirk on his face that it wasn't her home he was talking about. "No, thank you. I'm just going for a walk." She turned her back on them and walked away. _Please, please go away, _she thought desperately. But they didn't. She could hear their footsteps behind her. She turned around to find them right on her heels. "I told you I don't need any help."

"Aww come on baby," the other one said, grabbing her arm.

She tried to jerk it back, but his grip was too strong. "Let go!" she yelled, yanking with all her might.

"Oh watch out Brian, she's a feisty one," Steve teased. Before she knew it he was behind her and had grabbed her around the waist.

"STOP!" she yelled, struggling against them. "Get off!" She kicked Brian hard in the groin, making him double over in pain.

"Ahhhh," he groaned. When the pain passed he slowly stood up straight, malice in his eyes. "You little bitch."

She tried to get away, but Steve held on tight around her waist.

"You're gonna regret that, girly." Brian growled, grabbing her chin.

She tried to bite him and he kneed her hard in the stomach, nearly making her throw up right then and there. Steve pushed her into Brian, who then slammed her into the light post. The impact to her head had her seeing stars. She was doing all she could to keep from blacking out, but the pain was almost unbearable. She was hanging on to her consciousness by a thread, and she knew if she lost it, it was game over for her. Next thing she knew, she was being thrown to the floor. Her vision was going in and out, but she saw a foot preparing to kick her head. _Someone help... _She pleaded in her thoughts.

"Ahh!" She heard someone hit the floor, and she noticed the kick she had been anticipating never came. "Steve! Steve help-" Brian's plea was cut short by a punch to the face. But from what she could hear, the punches didn't stop there. They kept coming and coming until her attacker was unconscious.

It was quiet for a moment. Then she felt her savior's presence hovering over her. "Anzu..."

As soon as she knew who it was, she felt safe. She tried to say his name, but she couldn't get her lips to form words. It came out as gibberish. She felt herself being picked up before the pain engulfed her and she passed out.

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"Ryou!" Bakura stood outside their front door, waiting impatiently for his light to wake up and open it. He had called for him twice already, and with an unconscious Anzu in his arms it wasn't like he could just knock on it or ring the doorbell. "Ryou! Wake up and open the bloody door will you?"

Finally, Ryou opened the door. "Bakura what's wr-" His eyes widened in horror as he noticed the injured girl in Bakura's arms. They widened even more when he recognized the girl to be Anzu. She had cuts on her arms and face, and there was a nasty bump on the right side of her forehead. "Oh my God! Bakura what happened to her? Is she alright?"

"Does she look alright?" Bakura answered, brushing past him. He set her down lightly on the couch.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Ryou offered. On the way back from the cabinet he grabbed a folding chair, which he propped in front of the couch his friend was lying on. He immediately got to work sanitizing and bandaging her cuts.

Bakura grabbed a chair of his own and propped it next to Ryou's. "She was attacked by two drunken imbeciles while she was out walking."

"Oh my," Ryou gasped. "Well, from the look of things she was beaten up pretty badly... The worst injury seems to be this bump on her head, but it doesn't look like anything extremely serious. However, we won't know for sure until she wakes up." It took a while, but Ryou managed to treat all of her wounds. "I'll need to hold this icepack to her head until she wakes up... We wouldn't want the swelling to get worse."

Bakura had never been more thankful for Ryou's medical skills. "She might not wake up for another hour or so, and you look like you're about to fall asleep yourself. You can go back to sleep, I'll handle it from here."

Ryou yawned, proving his yami's point. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure."

"Well okay then. Make sure you hold it directly over-"

'I know how to hold a bloody icepack, Ryou."

"Okay then," he chuckled, "I'll see you in the morning. Wake me up if you need anything," he said before going off to bed.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX xXx

"_**You thought you could escape me, didn't you?" Zorc laughed, one of the most sinister sounds Bakura had ever heard. "You should know better, Bakura."**_

_**A huge fist came flying from the sky straight to where Bakura was standing. He jumped out of the way just in time. Zorc's gigantic fist hit the ground with a deafening roar. "This again..." Bakura mumbled.**_

"_**Yes, Bakura. This again. This forever." Zorc swiftly grabbed Bakura and lifted him up. Once again, he was face to face with the glowing red eyes of the beast that was once a part of him. "Pathetic mortal. Why do I even waste my time on you?" he said, dropping him.**_

_**The impact with the ground snapped his arm, just like it always did. The pain was no less excruciating, if not more so. "Damn you..." he managed to get out. If he was going to go, he wanted to go out fighting. He grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as he could. The rock was a pebble compared to Zorc's colossal size and bounced right off. The dark being laughed and kicked Bakura in the side, breaking most of his ribs. He could barely breathe.**_

_**Suddenly, a bright light appeared next to Bakura, dispersing the darkness around him.**_

"_**What is this?" Zorc demanded.**_

_**The light danced around until it formed a human figure. As the light faded, the identity of this mysterious light bearer was revealed. It was Anzu.**_

"_**Bakura..." she said.**_

_**He wanted to respond, but the agonizing pain he felt all over his body was preventing his ability to speak. She knelt to the ground and put her hand on his cheek. The pain slowly started to subside, and he gradually regained his strength. **_

"_**Bakura..." she said again. **_

"Bakura..."

His eyes flew open. He was back at home. _I fell asleep..._

Anzu had woken up, and her hand was on his cheek. She smiled when his eyes focused on her properly. "You look so different when you're sleeping," she said softly, letting her hand slip back to her side.

He regained his composure and smirked. "You mean vulnerable." Getting up, he grabbed the melted icepack and put it in the kitchen sink.

"No, just different. Not so... smug."

He returned with a new icepack and held it to her head.

"Ugh," she groaned, clutching her stomach.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It hurts..."

His eyes widened as he remembered that she had been kneed in the stomach when she was attacked. "I forgot about that... Hold on." He stood up and started towards Ryou's room.

"Bakura don't wake him up if he's sleeping. I'm fine."

He hesitated before sitting back down. "Let me see."

"What?"

"Move your hand."

She did as she was told. He lifted her shirt just high enough so he could inspect her injury. There was a large, black and purple bruise on the left side of her stomach.

"Hold this to your head," he instructed, getting up and giving her the ice pack. "I need to make another one."

"Thank you," she said when he returned. He answered her with the heart-melting smirk she knew so well. Lifting her shirt a tad bit more, he carefully applied the icepack. Even the slightest pressure against the injury made her whimper.

"It must still be tender..." he murmured. His fingertips were lightly dancing across her skin as he applied the icepack. Every time his fingers lingered or he rested his hand on her stomach, she blushed, something he didn't fail to notice. But whenever he applied pressure her face twisted in pain. "Anzu..."

Her eyes shifted from some fixed spot on the ceiling to his deep brown orbs.

"What were you doing out so late?"

"I just needed to get out," she said softly.

"At 11:30?"

"Yes..." she whispered, looking away.

He knew there was something she was keeping from him, and he was determined to find out what it was. "Weren't you the one who told me it was dangerous to go out at night?"

She gave a small smile, but it faded.

"Anzu," he said forcefully. "Why did you go out so late?"

"I just..." All the things she had been thinking about before she left her house came rushing back to her in one big wave. She couldn't hold back the tears accumulating in her eyes, and before she knew it she was crying.

Bakura's heart dropped. He moved from the chair to the couch and she sat up to make room for him.

"I'm sorry," she said through quiet sobs.

He didn't know why it bothered him so much to see her crying, but it did. It really did. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She leaned into him and hid her face in his chest, continuing to cry silently. "I'm going to ask you one last time," he said gently, "What's wrong?"

It all came pouring out before she could stop it. She told him about her mother, the loneliness, everything. After she was done she instantly felt better; it was nice to get that off her chest. Feeling his arms tighten around her, she looked up at him.

"Loneliness... I know that feeling all too well..." he said, his eyes in some far off place. She buried her face in his chest again, the movement bringing him back to the present. "It's late; you need to get some rest."

"But I was just knocked out all that time. I don't feel tired."

"Still." He started to release her but she held tight.

"Don't leave..."

"You need your rest, Anzu."

"Please..."

He gazed into her pleading blue eyes. "Fine. I'll stay, but I still want you to go to sleep."

"Deal," she agreed, closing her eyes.

Bakura put his feet up on the couch and she did the same. Anzu rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist once again.

"Goodnight Bakura, and thank you," she whispered.

"Goodnight Anzu."

After a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

**Yaaaaaay I found time to update xD So I'm taking AP English Language and Composition this year and I'm hoping my writing will have improved by winter break :P There are a lot of parts in my story that I wish I could've written better but whatevs, it is what it is cx REVIEW! Please c: They are much appreciated c: I have no idea what is gonna happen next chapter haha this chapter was so difficult to write that I haven't even thought about the next one :c plus I'm back in school now (my first week back went pretty great btw) so my updates are going to take longer :c but bear with me and you shall be rewarded(: And thank you sooo much to the people who reviewed my last chapter(: And to kanyon01: Your review was so nice it actually almost made me cry :') Thanks much!**


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